Trending · Travel
‘China Haul’: foreign visitors fly in with empty suitcases to shop
“行李箱”装下世界眼中的中国
Videos of foreign tourists unpacking what they bought in China have become a social-media trend, and Chinese state media are now giving it prominent coverage.
In short
‘China Haul’ is the name for social-media videos in which foreign visitors to China unpack the goods they bought there. On 2 November 2026 CCTV reported that the trend has spread widely overseas, with drones, AI glasses, Chinese make-up and designer toys replacing tea, silk and panda toys as typical purchases. Overseas visitors spent ¥263.6 billion in China in January–July 2026.
What a ‘China Haul’ is
A ‘haul’ video is a familiar format on YouTube, TikTok and Instagram: someone unpacks and shows off what they have just bought. ‘China Haul’ applies it to trips to China. According to a CCTV report republished on 2 November 2026, the cycle usually runs like this: visitors draw up a ‘must-buy in China’ list from social media before they travel, go to the shops on that list when they arrive, and post an unpacking video when they get home, which in turn prompts other viewers to put China on their own travel plans.
Xinhua reported in October that some visitors now arrive with largely empty suitcases to leave room for shopping. It quoted the manager of a Xiaomi store in Chengdu, Sichuan, who said foreign tourists make up 30 per cent of the shop’s daily customers.[2][3]
What visitors are buying
CCTV said the typical souvenirs of the past were tea, silk and toy pandas. Today’s hauls lean towards gadgets such as drones and AI glasses, Chinese cosmetics brands, health products and collectible designer toys. Xinhua mentioned Chinese sportswear brands Li-Ning and Anta, phones and electronics from Xiaomi, and toys such as Labubu, made by Pop Mart.
Shopping is also becoming more hands-on. CCTV cited Jingdezhen in Jiangxi province, China’s best-known porcelain town, where visitors can throw and fire a piece and have it shipped abroad, as well as made-to-measure clothing on Shanghai’s South Bund and custom pearl jewellery at Beijing’s Hongqiao Market.[2][3]
The numbers and rules behind it
The Ministry of Commerce said overseas visitors spent ¥263.6 billion (about US$39 billion) in China in the first seven months of 2026, 27.8 per cent more than a year earlier, according to Xinhua. The State Taxation Administration said in July that the number of foreign travellers claiming departure tax refunds rose by 366 per cent in the first half of 2026, and sales eligible for refunds rose by 69 per cent.
Two rules make shopping trips easier. Citizens of 57 countries can transit through China without a visa for up to 240 hours (10 days), and the departure tax refund scheme now has a lower minimum spend, paperless processing and, in major shopping districts, ‘buy and get refunded on the spot’ counters.[2][3][4]
Sources
- Baidu Hot Search (3 November 2026, in Chinese) · accessed 3 Nov 2026
- CCTV News via Voice of China (Huasheng Online): ‘China Haul’ trends overseas (2 November 2026, in Chinese) · accessed 3 Nov 2026
- Xinhua: Why has ‘China Haul’ become new buzzword on social media worldwide? (16 October 2026) · accessed 3 Nov 2026
- Jiemian: Foreign travellers claiming departure tax refunds up 366% in first half (28 July 2026, in Chinese) · accessed 3 Nov 2026
Picked from Baidu’s public hot-search list and checked against the reports above. Suggest a correction