Foreign tourists fill suitcases with Chinese tech on Nanjing Road

Why it matters: China has been widening visa-free entry and transit policies to draw back foreign visitors, and their spending is shifting from traditional souvenirs to consumer technology. For foreign readers, the shopping lists show what Chinese brands are now known for abroad, and how easy it has become to arrive in China and buy electronics directly.

Foreign tourists are reshaping shopping on Nanjing Road, a historic retail street in central Shanghai, according to Shangguan News. At the Yong'an Department Store, a long-established outlet, foreign visitors now make up about 70 to 80 percent of customer traffic, the store's electronics shop manager said.

A street-facing display called "Tech AI Hub" shows DJI drones, smart glasses and SenseRobot devices. Tourists stop at the window, then come in to try products and sometimes buy them, the report said. Smart glasses and massage devices draw particular interest.

Two older couples from Malaysia, who speak Cantonese and English, asked staff whether a voice-controlled robot could handle languages other than Mandarin before deciding whether to buy. A French couple tried smart cars from Huawei's HIMA line, including the Luxeed and Stellato models, and said the in-car technology was very different from what they see in France.

The shopping reflects a wider rebound in arrivals. Shanghai ports recorded 5.14 million inbound foreign entries in the first three quarters of 2026, up 18.5 percent year on year, with 66.8 percent of those visitors entering under visa-free or 240-hour transit policies, according to the report.

Tax-refund shopping is also rising. Shanghai's departure tax-refund sales grew 52 percent in the first nine months of 2026 from a year earlier, and sales under the instant-refund scheme grew 1.4 times, the report said.

A visitor from Slovenia summed up the dilemma: "China has a lot of new technology and many, many stores. Luggage is limited, but there are too many choices."