By Chen Zhuo, Zhao Zhilin
BEIJING, Aug. 22 (Xinhuanet) -- A content creator recently shared a video on YouTube showcasing the souvenirs she brought home from a trip to China: a delicate hairpin, a panda pendant, several fridge magnets and a photo book featuring her dressed in Hanfu, a traditional style of Chinese clothing.
Her collection offers a glimpse into the growing appeal of China-chic, a trend that is bringing Chinese aesthetics, traditional culture and contemporary creativity to consumers and audiences both at home and abroad.
This photo collage features a content creator sharing Chinese souvenirs on her YouTube channel. (Screenshot from YouTube)
From traditional Chinese clothing and intangible cultural heritage crafts to cultural and creative products and homegrown brands, the concept of China-chic has been increasingly visible in China's consumer markets and among international visitors.
New Chinese-style outfit has emerged as one of the most recognizable expressions of the trend. Foreign visitors have tried on traditional Chinese clothing and taken part in Hanfu photography during their trips to China. For some, the experience has also led to purchases to take home and share on social media. The hashtag #Hanfu has been used in more than 350,000 posts on TikTok.
Data from the General Administration of Customs show that China's goods trade reached 25.47 trillion yuan (about 3.75 trillion U.S. dollars) in the first half of 2026, up 16.9 percent year on year, with a growing number of culturally creative, technology-driven and brand-oriented consumer products entering overseas markets.
South Korean tourists dressed in Hanfu, a traditional Chinese attire, pose for photos in Yuyuan Garden in Shanghai, east China, Jan. 6, 2026. (Xinhua/Chen Haoming)
Meanwhile, foreign travelers are increasingly moving beyond sightseeing. Immersive local experiences have become a popular way for them to understand China.
According to a Xinhua think tank report titled "Shopping in China: Sharing New Opportunities of Open Development", international tourists are "completing their consumption through immersive participation" in activities such as Hanfu dressing, tea ceremony appreciation, calligraphy and painting.
A foreign tourist learns about Xuan paper in Jingxian County, east China's Anhui Province, on June 20, 2026. (Photo by Li Xiaohong/Xinhua)
Many overseas visitors are willing to participate in traditional craft activities, learn basic techniques, join folk celebrations and experience customs that have been preserved and adapted to contemporary life. Digital cultural tourism also brings fresh ways for international visitors to explore local traditions.
Such experiences add more diverse elements into China-chic. Visitors are not only purchasing products with Chinese cultural elements but are engaging with the processes, stories and traditions behind them.
A foreign tourist looks on as local women make Tiaohua cross-stitch embroidery, a traditional handicraft passed down through generations by women of Huayao, a branch of Yao ethnic group, at Huxingshan Yao Township in Longhui County, Shaoyang City, central China's Hunan Province, Aug. 4, 2026. (Photo by Zeng Yong/Xinhua)
According to a report from iiMedia Research, the China-chic market is expected to surpass 3 trillion yuan (about 445 billion U.S. dollars) by 2028.
China-chic has also been reflected in contemporary Chinese brands, whose products combine local cultural references with modern design, branding and consumer experiences.
Croatian tourist Lori opens a "Labubu" blind box at Wangfujing shopping district in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 6, 2026. (Xinhua/Song Yidai)
Time-honored Chinese cultural symbols gain fresh global influence via social media. The vintage White Rabbit candy wrapper, for example, has gone viral overseas, as netizens reuse its rabbit motif on clothing and accessories.
Trendy blind boxes from Pop Mart, alongside milk tea from local favorites like Chagee and Mixue Ice Cream & Tea, have become must-try items on inbound travel checklists.
Tourists from Russia select cultural and creative products at a bookstore in Jiangbei District of Ningbo City, east China's Zhejiang province, July 28, 2026. (Xinhua/Jiang Han)
For overseas visitors, China-chic may begin with something as simple as a souvenir from a trip, but it can linger as a memory of what they made, wore, watched or experienced. As traditional crafts, Chinese aesthetics and contemporary brands reach more consumers overseas, China-chic is becoming a channel through which people encounter and experience Chinese culture.
