The innovative experiences offered by China are becoming a new magnet for foreign visitors. In tourist routes in Shanghai, robots, new energy vehicles, and autonomous driving technologies now feature alongside traditional attractions.
Individually designed 'technology tours' allow international travelers to personally experience China's technological achievements. At the robotics center in Shanghai, operated by the Chinese robotics company Unitree Robotics, foreign visitors observed a robotic dog performing actions such as walking, jumping, and somersaulting. This center, which is the first venue to showcase Unitree's embodied intelligence in Asia, has welcomed over a thousand international visitors since its opening in June, and some international tour groups have included it in their must-see lists.
The popularity of 'technological tourism' is also changing the range of goods purchased by foreign guests in China. Chinese-made technological products, including AI-powered translation glasses and smart massagers, are becoming sought-after souvenirs, creating new consumer scenarios that combine tourism with the purchase of high-tech goods.
In an optical store in Shanghai, a Spanish tourist tested AI translation glasses and was able to communicate with reporters in Spanish without a translator. The phrase 'Come to China to see the future' has become popular among overseas content creators on social media. Many foreign influencers have visited China to test, evaluate, and purchase technological products, and the related videos are gaining popularity online.
In a shopping mall on Nanjing Road in Shanghai, smart glasses, AI-based chess robots, and translation headphones attracted a large number of foreign buyers. Mall management reported that foreign visitors sometimes account for about half of all customers, prompting them to make changes to window displays and provided services.
From January to September 2026, tax refund sales upon exiting Shanghai increased by 52% compared to the previous year, and the number of refund applications grew by 2.7 times. Sales under the 'purchase refund' policy increased by 1.4 times, and there were over 2,700 stores registered for tax refunds in the city. During National Day holidays, tax refund sales rose by 47% year-on-year, and sales under the 'purchase refund' scheme increased by 110%.
Thanks to the visa-free regime and the wide range of industrial applications in China, further expansion of both 'technological tourism' and 'technological shopping' is expected, allowing global guests to gain a more detailed understanding of China's innovation landscape.