A number of cities in China have launched festive initiatives to stimulate consumer spending during the festive season, as the country welcomes 2025 and the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year.
In Shanghai, some of the city's busiest shopping districts are holding events to draw visitors from across the world.
With music performance, artificial snowflakes and gifts, the century-old Sinan Mansions Complex in downtown Shanghai has wowed visitors eager to enjoy the festive vibes.
"I'm from Hunan. It's my first time to visit Shanghai. The falling snowflakes at the Sinan Masions add to the festive atmosphere. We've just watched the music performance. We are having a wonderful time here." said a visitor from central China's Hunan Province.
Discount coupons have been also provided for consumers during their visit at the complex.
"We got a coupon on a WeChat mini-program that gives us a 200-yuan (around 27.4 U.S. dollars) discount when spending at least 800 yuan (around 109.6 U.S. dollars) on food. I think the discount is great, so I brought my friends here to dine tonight," said one visitor.
Xintiandi, another shopping hub in Shanghai, hosted a month-long festive event throughout December, featuring outdoor bazaars and over 30 interactive shows.
In addition to domestic visitors, Shanghai has become a popular tourism destination for foreign visitors who can now enjoy China's new, more open visa policies.
"[It's] my first time actually in this area. And we've been walking with my family. It's been refreshing and it feels like home," said a French visitor at Xintiandi.
Hubei Province in central China will launch a campaign on Jan 21 to boost consumer spending by distributing 200 million yuan (around 27.4 million U.S. dollars) in discount coupons for food, consumer goods, and tourism.
The province will launch an online promotional event to meet people's surging demand for festive goods, with major e-commerce companies supporting the initiative by issuing discount vouchers.
The province will also create new immersive experiences to cater to younger consumers.
Chinese cities launch initiatives to spur consumer spending during festive season
As the Spring Festival approaches, north and east China are experiencing a surge in demand for traditional delicacies, including vinegar and intricately decorated steamed buns.
The Laba Festival, which falls on Jan 7, is just around the corner. In celebration, residents in Taiyuan City, capital of north China's Shanxi Province, flocked to a well-known vinegar shop to fill their containers with vinegar - a time-honored tradition marking the occasion.
The Laba Festival, literally the eighth day of the 12th month on the Chinese lunar calendar, is considered a prelude to the Spring Festival, or Chinese New Year.
As a longstanding custom during the festival, locals bring their own containers, mainly large buckets and jars, to fill with freshly made vinegar.
"The tradition of preparing vinegar for the Laba Festival has been passed down through generations. Folks here love buying the freshly made, time-honored brands, because the hot vinegar tastes especially good," said Liu Xiaojing, a staff member at a local vinegar company.
"The vinegar is still hot. I can still feel the warmth. This is an old brand, and I've been eating it since I was a child. It has a long history," said Huo Yanzhen, a local resident.
Steamed buns with colorful patterns are also experiencing a surge in sales in Qingdao City of east China's Shandong Province. These creative buns, a must-have for many families in the area, are flying off the shelves as shops ramp up both online and offline efforts, stocking up to meet the demand of the pre-festival sales boom.
At a local steamed bun shop, workers were busy preparing 3,000 kilograms of fish-shaped buns. These buns are particularly popular during this time of year, as fish symbolize good fortune and wealth in Chinese culture.
"Sales have definitely picked up since New Year's Day. We're selling about 2,000 to 3,000 jin (about 1,000 to 1,500 kilograms) daily, and we expect to sell nearly 100,000 jin (about 50,000 kilograms) over the next month," said Lu Haiyan, the shop owner.
"Older people nowadays don't like food that are too sweet. They prefer traditional Chinese pastries like these, which are made with healthy ingredients. They're good for the body, so we prefer them," said a local resident.
In addition to the offline sales, the shop has embraced online marketing, posting short videos of their decorative buns on social media platforms.
The Spring Festival, or Chinese Lunar New Year, falls on Jan. 29 this year and the Spring Festival holiday will last until Feb. 4. It is China's most important festival and an occasion for family reunion.
Sales of traditional delicacies surge ahead of Spring Festival
