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
