Longhua District initiated a three-month shopping festival starting Aug 18 by offering discounts of 100 million yuan (US$15.43 million). More than 200 promotional activities will be held at 50 large department stores and supermarkets across the district.

The shopping festival will center on recreation and entertainment, boosting consumption, fashion, and lifestyle in the digital economy era and will hold promotions and experience activities featuring newly-emerged retailing styles including first-store economy, live commerce and night economy.

Offcials pose for a photo at the opening ceremony of the shopping festival. DT News

To promote night economy, one of the highlights of the shopping festival, a series of promotional events including light shows, fashion runways and night bazaars will be held at the business centers in the district such as the Dalang Shopping Mall.

As Guanlan Culture Town is the major venue to boost the consumption of culture and tourism products, the MH Mall in the town will hold a basketball carnival, a hiking event and a music festival to attract more visitors while the New Who Art Village will hold a charity art fair during the shopping festival.

Subsidies will be offered by major banks to encourage consumers to pay via digital yuan during the shopping festival. For example, citizens who use digital yuan issued by the Postal Services Bank of China to pay for a shared bike ride will get digital currency red packets in random amounts from the bank.

The shopping festival will also release the shortlists of the top 10 must-visit spots and the top 10 must-eat restaurants in Longhua District.