The 15th Guangzhou International Shopping Festival opened on Sept 23 at Guangzhou ICC World Trade Center and will run through Dec 31.

Spanning all 11 districts of the city, the festival brings together more than 100 shopping complexes, 5,000 merchants, and over 2,000 themed events, backed by more than 600 million yuan (about $90 million) in national and provincial subsidies.

The festival is open to all visitors. Overseas tourists can join every market, performance, and mall promotion, with departure tax refunds, multilingual services, and inbound payment support in place, making it an easy way to experience the energy of this millennium-old trading hub.

District highlights

Following a "one district, one theme" approach, each district of Guangzhou offers distinct experiences for visitors to choose from based on their interests and itinerary:

1. Main venue: Tianhe district

Tianhe has been hosting the main venue for 15 consecutive years. Tianhe Road is the city's densest commercial strip and draws the heaviest foot traffic. Its outdoor plaza hosts a digital consumption experience zone and an international food market, while at Guangzhou ICC visitors can meet MINOSO's giant character YOYO for photos, join blind-box draws and pick up limited-edition merchandise.

China's first 10G AI business district has landed on Tianhe Road. The digital consumption experience zone features humanoid robots, smart home appliances and other cutting-edge products that visitors can try first-hand and interact with up close. The Tianhe Road smart business district mini-program has launched a dedicated festival section listing mall discounts and event schedules, so checking offers and planning a route takes only a few taps.

2. District-themed activities

Following a "one district, one theme" approach, each district runs its own program, so visitors can plan stops by interest and itinerary:

Yuexiu district focuses on consumption that blends culture, commerce, tourism, sports, and wellness. Malls are rolling out a shopping festival with multiple reward points and dining vouchers.

Liwan district has built a Xiguan cultural market offering an immersive mix of Lingnan (South China) folk customs, Cantonese intangible cultural heritage, and old-town street life.

Panyu district stages Guangdong Fashion Week, a showcase of the local fashion industry.

Creative markets, music parties and themed art exhibitions run across the city, with many malls adding anniversary sales on top of festival promotions.

Services for overseas visitors

The festival overlaps in part with the 140th Canton Fair, which opens on Oct 15, and Guangzhou has upgraded its inbound services accordingly.

Payment and tax refund network: The city has more than 1,800 tax refund stores, nearly 16,000 merchants that accept overseas bank cards, and more than 4,600 outlets offering refund-upon-purchase, which shortens the wait for tax refunds.

One-stop digital service: The “Nihao China” app, operated by China UnionPay, brings together mobile payments, QR transit access, multilingual translation, and instant tax refunds, covering payment, communication, and refund needs in a single application.

Practical tips for shoppers

Offers span the whole city. The main venue is in Tianhe, but discounts and events are spread across all 11 districts. Rather than staying on Tianhe Road, visitors can combine shopping with old-town sightseeing and pick malls near their itinerary.

Plan ahead. Use the Tianhe Road smart shopping mini-program to check mall offers and event locations in advance.

Keep refund documents. When shopping at tax refund stores, keep receipts and invoices, look for the tax refund signage, and use the refund-upon-purchase service.

Avoid the crowds. With the Canton Fair period drawing large visitor flows, weekdays offer a more relaxed shopping experience.

This year's festival brings together international food, Lingnan culture, cutting-edge AI experiences and citywide mall promotions, supported by overseas card acceptance, multilingual services and departure tax refunds. With the smart business district mini-program and the inbound services on hand, visitors can take in the shopping, food, and culture of this ancient trading city in one trip.