Shanghai's Yangpu district kicked off its series of events for the 2025 Shanghai Shopping Festival with a bang on April 24 — marking a major highlight of the city's grand annual retail event.

This year, the focus of activities is on the brand economy, the live-streaming economy, as well as spending on services and smart consumption.

The festival is organized into four key segments: ACGN (Animation, Comics, Games and Novels) culture, the live-streaming economy, business-tourism-culture-sports integration and expanding foreign trade into domestic markets.

Highlights

One of the central projects is the White Mongolia Live-streaming Gala. It will feature a full day of live-streaming broadcasts that connect major shopping areas and cultural-tourism resources — creating a special live-streaming economy experience.

Another major event is the Shanghai ACGN Festival, which has already been recognized as one of the top 15 key events of the 2025 Shanghai Shopping Festival.

The event aims to further develop the ACGN-themed commercial area around the Wujiaochang shopping area. It will offer visitors exciting activities like anime exhibitions, joint creative events with universities and a so-called "Guzi Market".

The word "guzi" is a transliteration of "goods" in Japanese, which means merchandise, collectibles, or memorabilia.

In addition to these high-profile events, Yangpu will also distribute consumption coupons.

The Wujiaochang shopping area, one of the city's nine key shopping precincts, will participate in the newly launched Specialty Shopping Areas Promotion Festival. This will feature themed events and offer exclusive discounts, including coupons that provide up to 60 yuan ($8.23) off purchases over 200 yuan, 150 yuan off purchases over 500 yuan and 300 yuan off purchases over 1,000 yuan.

These offers can be combined with additional discounts from participating businesses, allowing customers to enjoy up to 45 percent off prices.

To top it off, at the launch ceremony major platforms like Meituan and Douyin (the Chinese version of TikTok) introduced their own activities.

Meituan unveiled a Bar Guide, a Must-Visit List and a Must-Eat List to provide global tourists with a great comprehensive guide to shopping and dining in Shanghai.

Tips

(1) Coupons for shopping areas

- Second batch: Available from 10 am on May 9. The coupons can be used until midnight on May 15.

- Third batch: Available from 10 am on May 16. The coupons can be used until midnight on May 22.

Note: Both batches are limited in quantity and available on a first-come, first-served basis.

How to get the coupons

When the activity starts, scan the QR code below to access the event page.

Each user can only select one coupon from each category. Click the "Claim" button to get your coupon. You can view the list of participating businesses by clicking "View Discountable Merchants" (Chinese: 查看优惠可用商家) at the bottom of the event page.

(2) Coupons for hotels

- Available daily from now to May 18 at 10 am. Limited quantity, first-come, first-served.

- 8 percent off at selected hotels, with a maximum discount of 200 yuan ($27.72).

- The coupon is valid for up to two days after being received.

- Check-in must be between 10 am on April 30 and 11:59 pm on May 20.

How to get the coupons

Open the Ctrip app or scan the QR code and go to the "Hotels" section.

Set your location to Yangpu district, Shanghai. Choose hotels with a coupon label, then click "Claim and Book" (Chinese: 领券订) to complete your reservation and enjoy the discount.

Alternatively, click the "Claim" button on the main coupon page to access and book your discounted stay.

Sources: Shanghai Observer, official WeChat account of Shanghai Yangpu Media Center at "shanghai-yangpu"