A spectacular drone show featuring 2,000 drones lit up the night sky over Zhuhai City, south China's Guangdong Province on Sunday, as part of the warm-up celebrations for the upcoming 77th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force on Nov.11.
The performance took place on the beach at Haitian Park. The drones formed large-scale images of the Air Force's mainstay aircraft, drawing the attention of crowds gathered along the shoreline.
Highlighting the nation's advances in stealth technology, the drones first sketched eight J-20 fighter jets in a powerful arrow formation.
Particle streams from the eight tail nozzles simulated high-speed flight. The J-20 made its maiden public appearance at the 11th Airshow China in 2016 and has become a symbol of the PLA Air Force's strategic transformation. The J-35A, a medium-sized stealth multi-role combat aircraft, then took center stage, outlined in high-density techno-blue light that highlighted its horizontal stabilizers and angular stealth airframe. The aircraft was depicted in a banked combat posture, with its tail nozzles in full afterburner and a three-dimensional shock-diamond light effect.
The show continued with the J-16, nicknamed the "bomb truck" for its heavy weapons load, the J-10C multi-role fighter, the Y-20 (Kunpeng) heavy transport aircraft, the KJ-500 airborne early warning aircraft, and the H-6K strategic bomber, drawing cheers from the audience.
The event also promoted the upcoming Airshow China, formally the 16th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, inviting visitors from around the world to gather in Zhuhai for the biennial event from Dec. 7 to 13.
Zhuhai stages spectacular drone show to warm up Air Force 77th anniversary
"China Haul" -- a trend of foreign tourists opening their suitcases on social media to show off the Chinese goods they bought during trips to China -- has recently gone viral overseas.
Some joke that "China Haul" sounds like "China good" in Chinese, a fitting description for leisure trips to the country, since tourists often arrive with empty suitcases and leave with them fully stuffed, proving that made-in-China products are indeed good.
Opening a suitcase to show off purchases made in China is one of the most popular ways German tourists share their trips. Alexander Haase has traveled to Beijing four times over the past year, and buying Chinese tech products has been a must every time. His suitcase reads like a continuously updated list of Chinese tech products.
"In the past 12 months alone, I've been to China four times. What I bought are mostly high-tech products. For example, I bought a Huawei laptop, and AI glasses. In short, all the latest high-tech products," said Haase.
Haase's shopping list directly reflects the popularity of Chinese tech products among German tourists. Having visited China many times over more than two decades, he has witnessed not only the iteration of products but also the overall upgrading of the urban environment and digital infrastructure.
For him, buying tech products in China is no longer a side activity but an indispensable part of the trip. This change is also appearing among more German tourists.
German travel industry insiders have also observed that China's appeal to young people has moved beyond traditional sightseeing of historic sites; experiencing cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence and robots up close is becoming a new reason to visit China.
"The development of China's high and new technologies is a very important element attracting young people from abroad. For example, robots spark their greater interest in learning more about China. Thanks to the visa-free policy, young German tour groups can travel to China at any time, just as they please," said Tang Huiying, general manager of a German youth travel agency.
According to German travel industry insiders, German tourists visiting China in 2026 are expected to reach between 500,000 to 600,000. For frequent travelers like Wolfgang Bednarek, who has visited China many times, China's charm is not one-dimensional but a comprehensive appeal formed by the combination of multiple experiences.
"I have traveled all over the world, but I have to say that in my heart, China is the most impressive country. China not only has a unique culture and diverse geographical features, but the people there are also a highlight -- an absolute highlight," said Bednarek.
German tourists embrace Chinese high-tech goods, fueling "China Haul" trend online
