High-end smart products are driving a new wave of consumer demand during China's eight-day combined National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, which kicked off on Wednesday.
Once the stuff of science fiction, like stringless guitars that produce rich chords and AI-powered glasses that act as real-time translators, are now becoming everyday companions for Chinese consumers.
In Nantou Ancient City in the southern metropolis Shenzhen, a store dedicated to selling cutting-edge, futuristic gadgets is teeming with shoppers eager to experience the latest innovations firsthand.
"I really want to try those real-time translation glasses and the flying cameras. Seeing so many domestically made tech products fills me with pride," said Chen Peiyao, a customer browsing the store.
The store's manager said that they offer nearly 2,000 kinds of products from over 300 brands. Since its opening in 2022, booming customer traffic and an expanding product lineup quickly outgrew their original space, prompting a move just one year later into a spacious new 2,000-square-meter flagship location.
In Chengdu, the capital city of southwest China's Sichuan Province, a dedicated smart home experience center has drawn flocks of visitors.
Its five floors have been transformed into real living environments, complete with living rooms, bedrooms, kitchens, and balconies, allowing customers to shift from traditional "shopping for products" to immersive "living in the scene" experiences.
"For example, as soon as you walk in, the lights turn on and the curtains automatically close. It's really something that creates a mood," said Chen Xu, a visitor.
For those captivated by a particular setup, the center offers fully customized solutions that integrate interior design, furniture, and smart appliances.
"As people's quality of life keeps improving, standalone products no longer meet their needs. Our showroom is built around real-life scenarios. Since opening on April 19, we've already attracted 1,041 potential customers," said Wu Qinhui, manager of the smart home experience center.
High-end smart techs fuel holiday shopping in China
China's 42nd Antarctic Expedition team has started unloading supplies for scientific exploration after arriving at waters near the Zhongshan Station, a Chinese research base in Antarctica.
The ongoing seven-month scientific exploration mission is supported by Chinese icebreakers the Xuelong and the Xuelong 2, which set sail from Shanghai on Nov 1.
The two icebreakers will deliver about 2,000 tons of supplies to the Zhongshan Station for scientific exploration.
The Xuelong 2 arrived first at a designated unloading spot about 12 kilometers from the Zhongshan Station. Later, the ship's Ka-32 helicopter transported in batches more than 300 tons of polar fuel to the research base when weather conditions were favorable.
"Nearly 90 members of the expedition team carried by the two ship are already at the Zhongshan Station, preparing for receiving supplies and assignments for scientific exploration," said Wang Tao, person in charge of unloading operations at the Zhongshan Station.
Thanks to more than 30 hours of efforts by the Xuelong 2 to widen the channel and lead the way, the Xuelong, which was carrying about 1,500 tons of supplies, has also arrived at the unloading spot.
The unloading operations, involving a combination of sea-ice transport and helicopter lifts, are expected to be finished within two weeks.
And then, the Xuelong and the Xuelong 2 will proceed to China's Qingling Station and Changcheng Station in Antarctica, respectively.
The expedition team includes more than 500 members from over 80 institutions on the Chinese mainland, along with researchers from more than 10 other countries and regions, such as Thailand, Chile and Portugal, as well as China's Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Regions, in support of broader international scientific collaboration.
They will conduct multi-disciplinary scientific surveys, advance several major national research projects, and test domestically developed equipment under polar conditions.
Particularly, scientific drilling experiments in lakes deep in the Antarctic inland ice sheet will be carried out for the first time.
China's 42nd Antarctic Expedition team unloads supplies at Zhongshan Station
