From now until Nov 16, the CIIE Bazaar City Arena on Nanjing Road, created by Greenland Group, is offering visitors a world-class shopping experience in the heart of Shanghai.

Featuring 34 national pavilions, the bazaar showcases more than 100 new products debuting at the 8th China International Import Expo, and adds to the excitement with discounts of up to 70 percent off and a storewide 20 percent discount, excluding special items.

At the entrance, a CIIE-themed float draws attention with this year's most popular new arrivals. Among them are handmade Aleppo soaps from Syria, a product with a history stretching back over a thousand years. Made simply with olive oil, laurel oil, water, and natural lye, each bar requires more than a year to mature before reaching the market.

"This natural soap is highly sought after by Chinese consumers for its skincare benefits," said one exhibitor. Just like baijiu, the longer it's aged, the better its quality. A five- to eight-year-old bar can sell for between 200 and 500 yuan (about $28-70).

Taking the elevator up to the fourth floor reveals even more CIIE favorites. The Australia Pavilion has stocked its shelves with Grown Alchemist skincare products ahead of their official debut at this year's Expo. Meanwhile, the Uzbekistan Pavilion offers some of the biggest bargains of all, with cashmere scarves discounted to just 30 percent of their original price.

Other popular items include Arabica coffee beans from the highlands of Timor-Leste, Argentinian steak, Damascus Museum cultural blind boxes, and handwoven bags from Nepal, each offering a glimpse of global craftsmanship and creativity.

If you go

Address: 4F, No 558 East Nanjing Road

Business hours: 10 am to 10 pm

Source: Official WeChat account of Huangpu district at "shhuangpu"