China Haul 2026: Why Travelers Are Flying In With Empty Suitcases | China Travel

The empty suitcase is now part of the packing list.

On TikTok and Instagram, videos tagged #ChinaHaul have turned into their own content genre: travelers land with one checked bag, come home with three. A Beijing Review piece this month called three suitcases per person 'the standard loadout for the trip.'

The numbers behind the trend are hard to ignore. According to the Ministry of Commerce, overseas visitors spent 263.6 billion yuan (about 39 billion USD) in China in the first seven months of 2026, up 27.8 percent year on year. Border crossings by foreign nationals hit 61.29 million in the January–August period, with visa-free entries up 26.8 percent.

Where the shopping happens

Shenzhen is ground zero. The city draws an average of nearly 8,000 foreign buyers a day to Huaqiangbei, its mega electronics market, where AI-product sales jumped over 55 percent in the first seven months of the year. Sales of AI glasses doubled; drones and robots climbed 60 to 70 percent.

One Italian tourist, Andrea Triboldi, flew into Shenzhen with a list of more than 20 Chinese products — his 11-year-old son especially wanted a DJI drone. At a store called INNO100, staff say foreign tourists make up roughly 40 percent of sales, drawn to exoskeletons, 3D printers, laser engraving machines, and made-to-order 3D dolls.

Outside the tech hubs, the haul is wider. In Changsha, Snack Kingdom sells over 35,000 kinds of snacks and has become a tourist stop in its own right — one Russian visitor said even big stores back home don't carry a fraction of that range. In Chengdu, a Xiaomi store manager says foreign tourists now make up 30 percent of daily foot traffic, often buying tea, teacups and teapots alongside electronics.

Why the tax refund changed everything

China lowered the minimum spend for a departure tax refund from 500 to 200 yuan per store per day, and rolled out 'refund upon purchase' nationwide — you can get the cash before you leave the shop. Refunds run 11 or 8 percent depending on the goods, minus a 2 percent agency fee, so roughly 9 or 6 percent back in practice.

The result: applications for departure tax refunds more than tripled year on year in the first seven months of 2026. Combined with mobile payments, which most visitors can set up within minutes using WeChat or Alipay, and the visa-free push, the friction of cross-border shopping is almost gone.

A shopping list that actually works

• Tech: drones, AI glasses, 3D printers, exoskeletons — Huaqiangbei in Shenzhen, with test flights and hands-on demos at flagship stores.
• Snacks: regional snack chains like Snack Kingdom in Changsha; vacuum-packed street food makes great carry-on.
• Tea and ceramics: Chengdu's tea shops and Jingdezhen's porcelain studios pair well with a longer itinerary.
• Daily goods: blenders with one-touch cleaning, trendy accessories and cosmetics — Malaysian shopper Mok Jin Jin said her family plans their list before the flight.

The takeaway

'China Haul' isn't just about cheaper prices anymore. Analysts describe a shift from buying foreign brand symbols to buying Chinese tech, design and consumption experiences — the same factories that used to export anonymously now sell directly to travelers, with tax refunds and digital payments smoothing the whole loop.

Whether you're flying in with one empty suitcase or three, the practical bits are the same: look for stores with tax-free signs, ask for the refund receipt at purchase, and process it before check-in at the airport. Planning a China trip? Browse experiences by city on ChinaPie, or start with the Shenzhen APEC guide if you're coming this November. We help with experiences and guides — not visa paperwork or hotel bookings.