With the updating of consumption concepts and changes in lifestyles, cultural and tourism consumption is gradually shifting from traditional sightseeing to a higher level of experiential consumption. The cultural and tourism commercial model integrating sightseeing, shopping, and entertainment has become a "new favorite" for consumers. For example, during this year's Spring Festival, Shenzhen Happy Coast held the "2025 Bay Area Super Lantern Festival" and Super Happy Market activities, attracting nearly 600,000 visitors, ranking first in Shenzhen in terms of visitor numbers.

Shenzhen Happy Coast

At the beginning of this year, the General Office of the State Council issued "Several Measures on Further Cultivating New Growth Points and Enriching Cultural and Tourism Consumption," clearly proposing to leverage the empowerment of culture and the driving role of tourism, deepen "Culture and Tourism + All Industries" and "All Industries + Culture and Tourism," enhance product supply capacity, enrich consumption formats and scenarios, and better meet the diverse, multi-level, and multifaceted spiritual and cultural needs of the people. With the strong promotion of national policies, the prospects of cultural and tourism commerce are becoming increasingly broad, also driving the emergence of more innovative business models.

On January 11, Guangxi Chongzuo R&F ins park was unveiled, jointly developed by Chongzuo City Construction Group and R&F Commercial. It is the first large-scale comprehensive commercial project in Chongzuo City that is being prioritized. Positioned as "combining commercial retail with cultural tourism and local characteristics," the project integrates local ethnic culture into its construction design and operation, introducing over 100 brands, with 60% being Chongzuo's first stores.

Focusing on the regions where the planned cultural and tourism commercial projects are located, the East China region is expected to open 12 cultural and tourism commercial projects, accounting for 40%, with an estimated increase of nearly 909,000㎡ in commercial building area. The North China region has 6 planned commercial projects, with an estimated increase of 897,000㎡ in commercial building area; the South China region plans to open 5 cultural and tourism commercial projects, with an estimated increase of 396,500㎡ in commercial building area.

From a city perspective, first-tier and new first-tier cities such as Shanghai, Shenzhen, Beijing, Hangzhou, Suzhou, and Tianjin are among the top in terms of planned projects, reflecting the close relationship between the implementation of new projects and the level of urban economic development and the potential of the consumer market. These cities remain key areas for commercial investment and brand expansion.

In terms of commercial scale, there are 10 projects with a scale of 20,000-50,000㎡ (including 20,000㎡, excluding 50,000㎡), accounting for approximately 33.3%; 10 projects with a scale of 50,000-100,000㎡ (including 50,000㎡, excluding 100,000㎡), accounting for approximately 33.3%; 6 planned projects with a scale of 100,000-150,000㎡ (including 100,000㎡, excluding 150,000㎡), accounting for 20%; and 4 planned projects with a scale of 150,000㎡ and above (including 150,000㎡), accounting for approximately 13.3%.

It is not difficult to see that the planned cultural and tourism commercial projects in 2025 are mainly small and medium-sized projects, which have relatively lower investment thresholds and easier recruitment difficulties. At the same time, large-scale cultural and tourism projects such as Beijing Wanli, Shenzhen K11 ECOAST, and Shazhichuan (Yinchuan) Outlet Jiangnan Night City will also emerge in the market.

Among these planned commercial projects, there are many well-known national cultural and tourism commercial real estate companies such as Huaqiao City and R&F, which continue to increase their investment in this sector, and some projects are even entering cities for the first time using a "light asset" model. In addition, Aegean, China Merchants, Vanke, K11, Wanda, etc., are also deeply cultivating the cultural and tourism market. For example, Aegean Group will open two major projects: Shanghai Aegean · Binfenli and Shuozhou Aegean Shopping Center; Vanke will build the region's first waterfront social living space, "Hangzhou Vanke Riyao Lianli," in Hangzhou; and Wanda will launch "Changchun Wanda Plaza," which features "tropical rainforest" and "ice and snow world" as two major key landscapes.

Hangzhou Vanke Riyao Lianli

The "Culture and Tourism + Outlet" model is favored in the market. Projects such as Ningbo Qianwan Shengshili Culture and Tourism Outlet, Shazhichuan (Yinchuan) Outlet Jiangnan Night City, and Yuncheng Haoyun Outlet integrate culture, tourism, leisure, and shopping elements, closely combining "culture and tourism" with "outlets," and showing a clear downward trend.

Among these planned projects, the proportion of "waterfront" commercial projects is quite high. Hangzhou Lin'an Binhu Tiandi, Ningbo Wenchuang Port Poly, Longfor Suzhou Fashion Waterfront Xingyuehui, and Wuhan Hezhizhou HAN ZONE are all built by the water, activating the cultural and tourism attributes of the projects.

Urban renewal projects such as Nanjing Jinling Changlefeng, Shantou Chaoboli, Tianjin Quanyechang, and Tianjin Tiantuo · Xiangwang 1956 rely on the history of their locations, excavating their cultural connotations to create new scenes and content that blend the ancient and the modern, stimulating new commercial vitality.

Shantou Chaoboli

From a cultural and tourism perspective, these cultural and tourism commercial projects present a "blooming" situation. By organically integrating culture, film and television, and sports elements, they strive to break through the "tidal" model of traditional cultural and tourism commerce, providing the public with a new leisure and cultural tourism vacation experience.

The rise of the night economy has also given cultural and tourism commerce more room for exploration. Shazhichuan (Yinchuan) Outlet Jiangnan Night City, Tianjin Quanyechang, and Yuncheng Haoyun Outlet use various night economy models, such as late-night eateries, light shows, and artistic performances, to strive to provide consumers with a comprehensive and diversified night economy experience.

Huanyun Oriental Commercial and Cultural Tourism Complex

Shanghai Aegean · Colorful Inside

Shanghai Aegean · Colorful Inside is the first international IP park flagship commercial project in China, jointly created by Xinshan Investment Holding Group and Aegean Group. It is a component of the core area of Shanghai LEGOLAND Resort. The project is located at the main entrance of Shanghai LEGOLAND Resort, a must-pass place for visitors, and also occupies the central axis of the resort.

The project covers an area of approximately 74,000 square meters and is divided into three themed areas according to the type of experience: the north area, which leads the "enjoying wild fun life"; the central square, which focuses on "cultural ecological life"; and the south area, which focuses on "colorful gathering life". It introduces more than 150 brands, including Chilis's first global park-themed store, Kumi's first national resort flagship store, and Yuepu Canteen's first national resort-customized store.

Shenzhen Qianhai · Huafa Ice and Snow World

Shenzhen Qianhai · Huafa Ice and Snow World project has a total construction area of approximately 339,300 square meters, including a snow field, hotel, and supporting commercial facilities. It will create the world's largest and China's largest indoor ski resort. The project is adjacent to the Shenzhen International Convention and Exhibition Center and Shenzhen Maritime Pastoral Area. In the future, it will be combined with international airport resources to link business tourism and leisure entertainment for a comprehensive tourism experience.

The commercial part takes ice and snow as its core feature, with an area of 20,000 square meters. It will combine a world-class indoor ski resort, high-end hotels, immersive themed commercial areas, Funmix dynamic spaces, and a young urban entertainment commercial street, combined with the upstream and downstream of the ice and snow industry chain, to create a city cultural tourism landmark that combines professionalism, entertainment, and the promotion of the ice and snow industry. Currently, the main structure of the project has entered the decoration and renovation stage, and heat insulation and refrigeration materials and equipment are being installed. It is expected to open in the fourth quarter of 2025.

 

Guangzhou Huatingfang

Guangzhou Huatingfang is the first Lingnan-style non-standard cultural tourism project created by Hesheng Commercial. Located in Huocun, a village with more than 600 years of history, the project retains ancient streets and historical buildings and incorporates two- or three-story independent buildings to create an open and dynamic urban space. The project also uses the classic layout of Lingnan ancient villages to create unique Lingnan IP attractions and hold non-legacy Lingnan-style activities.

Guangzhou Huatingfang will continue to use Lingnan characteristic culture as its core foundation, deeply integrating intangible cultural heritage, cultural creativity, food, and film into four characteristic IPs. It plans to develop characteristic industries such as intangible cultural heritage food, intangible cultural heritage Chinese medicine, tea houses, Wing Chun Kung Fu halls, Hanfu experiences, film-themed scenes, artisan handicrafts, and micro-intoxicating leisure, creating a "East Yongqing, West Huating" urban micro-vacation cultural tourism destination.

Beijing Wanli

The "Wanli" project, jointly developed by Shoulu Group, Jingtou Company, and Chengjian Group, is located next to the Beijing Universal Studios Theme Park. It is positioned as a "city sub-center international commercial and entertainment complex" and has developed three major sections: Wangfujing Outlets, Nolan Hotel, and Tingyun Micro-vacation Town, with a total scale of approximately 500,000 square meters and a total investment of over 10 billion yuan.

As a new attempt by Beijing's cultural tourism industry, Beijing Wanli combines culture, commerce, and tourism. The emergence of homestay clusters, high-end hotels, and art outlets reflects the integration of the essence of culture, commerce, and tourism, covering a comprehensive range of user scenarios, including eating, living, playing, entertainment, and shopping, meeting the needs of modern people for diversified experiences during travel.

Nanjing Jinling Changlefong

Located next to Nanjing Confucius Temple, Nanjing Jinling Changlefong, formerly a commercial complex including a Walmart supermarket, was jointly created by Nanjing MALL Street Wu Zhengmei, famous designer Chen Weixin, and Wenheyou. It is the first immersive Ming Dynasty cultural space in East China and will be developed into a cultural, commercial, and tourism complex themed on Ming Dynasty culture.

The project has a total construction area of approximately 40,000 square meters and a total investment of 200 million yuan. The exterior retains the style of Nanjing's streets and alleys with blue tiles and white walls. Jinling Changlefong will reproduce the "Nandu Fanhuitu," focusing on imperial examination culture and market culture. With five floors, it will bring together eight characteristic industries, including national tide retail, makeup and photography travel, intangible cultural heritage crafts, museums, multi-national goods, national tide food, Jinling snacks, and national tide entertainment. It plans to introduce more than 200 characteristic brands.

Nanchang Happy Coast

Nanchang Happy Coast is located on the west bank of Xiang Lake in Nanchang City's Xihu District. It includes large-scale commercial areas, residential areas, five-star hotels, and a snow park. Benchmarking against international flagship commercial projects such as Singapore Changi Airport's Jewel and Siam Paragon Shopping Center in Bangkok, Thailand, it aims to create the most attractive cultural, commercial, and tourism complex in Central China.

Among them, the commercial part is a semi-open commercial complex and is the first ecological shopping center in the country. The main body of the shopping center is enclosed by a C-shaped building, planned for four floors above ground. The exterior is a combination of glass curtain walls and aluminum plates. The interior has a large number of vertical greening and water features, creating an experiential consumption space that combines fashion and modernity.

Xi'an Sports Window · NMC Center

Jointly created by Shaanxi Tourism Group and Beijing Hualian Group, Xi'an Sports Window · NMC Center is located at the intersection of Tangyan Road and Keji Eighth Road in Xi'an's Yanta District. With a total construction area of 73,000 square meters, it is Xi'an's first immersive cultural, commercial, and tourism complex. Focusing on the three themes of "culture, sports, and business," the project aims to become a new benchmark for commercial projects in Northwest China from three dimensions: industry layout, themed spaces, and operational innovation.

In terms of industry layout, the project links the shopping center with sports and cultural tourism, using "cultural arts" and "sports" as the core. It creates the Northwest's only international standard real ice rink and a "Galaxy" themed art atrium indoors, aiming to enrich consumers' shopping experience and enhance the project's cultural connotation and artistic atmosphere.

Sha Zhi Chuan (Yinchuan) Outlets Jiangnan Night City

Sha Zhi Chuan (Yinchuan) Outlets Jiangnan Night City is located at the intersection of Liupanshan Road, Youai Street, and Lijing Street in Yinchuan City's Xingqing District. With a construction area of 186,300 square meters, it is planned to have four floors above ground and one floor underground. It is a comprehensive commercial complex integrating entertainment spaces and Jiangnan cultural tourism streets.

The project uses representative ancient towns such as Wuzhen, Zhouzhuang, and Nanxun as prototypes, replicating elements of Jiangnan water towns, restoring the appearance of water towns to the greatest extent, creating an immersive experience space in multiple dimensions, and building a tourism and cultural street district with the concept of "Jiangnan Water Street." The project not only covers a variety of business layouts such as cultural and creative handicraft districts, specialty food districts, literary and artistic fashion districts, and Jiangnan boutique districts, but also incorporates elements such as light shows and live performances, striving to create a diversified consumer industry of culture, commerce, sports, and tourism, and become a pan-entertainment complex exclusively for young people.

Tianjin Quan Yechang

Built in 1928, Quan Yechang is known as the "city within a city, market within a market," and is an iconic building and important cultural and commercial landmark in Tianjin. After revitalization, Quan Yechang will use "night shopping, night tasting, night tour, night appreciation, night fun" as its design theme, bringing diverse cultural and entertainment activities such as late-night eateries, live houses, film screenings, light shows, and artistic performances, allowing citizens to experience the charm of culture at night.

Tianjin Quan Yechang will also renovate the old Quan Yechang building into a "history museum" to preserve precious historical memories. The project will introduce more than 40% cultural businesses, including customized cultural experiences, contemporary cultural performing arts, and digital technology scenes. Among the cultural and commercial brands to be introduced, the combined proportion of internationally renowned brands, time-honored brands, first stores, and specialty stores will be no less than 30%.

Yuncheng Haoyun Outlet

Yuncheng Haoyun Outlet is located in the Yanhu Vitality Valley Resort in Yuncheng City. The resort advocates "Outlet + Park" dual IPs, composed of Happy World Theme Park, Haoyun Outlet Town, Water World, theme resort hotels, and other different business types, making it the first one-stop family resort destination in southern Shanxi.

Among them, Yuncheng Haoyun Outlet, with a planned commercial area of approximately 75,000 square meters, is presented with open-street architecture, led by brand-name discounts, integrating catering, department stores, cultural and creative industries, and night economy into a cultural and tourism commercial complex integrating shopping, culture, fashion, and entertainment.

 

Changchun Wanda Plaza

Changchun Wanda Plaza is a key cultural and tourism project in Changchun. The exterior design incorporates the "film gene" of the film capital area. The building group uses film reels as the theme element, cleverly combining function and film form, making the overall shape a dynamic and iconic image.

In terms of scene creation, the project relies on the largest tropical rainforest landscape in the three eastern provinces, integrating the two important landscape nodes of "tropical rainforest" and "ice and snow world." It will build the province's first indoor four-season ski resort, the first film and television cultural street district in the three eastern provinces, the first SSR-level sports arena in Jilin Province, and an all-age science and education entertainment center. After completion, it will become the largest cultural and tourism complex in Northeast China, bringing a richer and more unique experience to tourists.

Business Observation

With the rising enthusiasm of the public for cultural and tourism consumption and the strong promotion of national policies, the prospect of cultural and tourism commerce is undoubtedly promising. Especially as consumers' demand for diversification, micro-vacations, and immersive experiences continues to increase, cultural and tourism commerce, with its integrated features of sightseeing, shopping, and purchasing, is becoming increasingly popular among consumers and attracting a large number of investors.

From the perspective of the advantages of cultural and tourism commerce itself, it has created a cultural and tourism complex integrating tourism, entertainment, shopping, and leisure by introducing diversified content such as culture, art, performing arts, technology, and sports. More importantly, it can integrate multiple functions such as conferences, exhibitions, residences, and creative services, providing more possibilities for business model innovation.

Obviously, this is both an opportunity and a challenge. The rising popularity of cultural and tourism commerce has led to the emergence of numerous commercial projects with certain cultural and tourism attributes. Relying on proximity to scenic spots, indoor landscaping, and performing arts support, they integrate some cultural and tourism-related elements, causing the originally distinct differentiated competition to gradually become blurred. Therefore, how to stand out in the fierce market competition has become a required course for cultural and tourism commerce.