China’s Spring Festival has ushered in a new travel trend: factory tours. This year, more travelers are opting for behind-the-scenes visits to manufacturing sites over traditional sightseeing spots during the Chinese New Year holiday.
Many companies are capitalizing on this interest by offering facility tours that combine immersive experiences with educational insights into production processes. According to data from the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Economy and Information Technology, industrial tourism reservations exceeded 300,000 across eight locations in Beijing during the eight-day holiday between January 29 and February 4.
Xiaomi’s Beijing factory emerged as a popular destination for those keen to delve into the world of automobile production. Visitors explored the sprawling 718,000-square-meter site located in the Beijing Economic-Technology Development Area, witnessing firsthand the stages of vehicle production—from welding and painting to assembly and quality inspection.
Another notable location attracting visitors was Shougang Park in western Beijing. Once representing China’s industrial steel past, the 8.63-square-kilometer area has undergone urban revitalization and now hosts numerous events annually. In recent years, the park welcomed over 13 million visitors, generating 5.8 billion yuan ($809 million) in revenue.
Elsewhere in the country, companies are also embracing this trend. Chinese dairy giant Yili, based in Hohhot, the capital of north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, offers visitors an in-depth look at the nation’s modern dairy industry and production capabilities. Since opening its doors in 2005, Yili Group has welcomed close to 3 million visitors.
The rise in industrial tourism comes as a record number of people traveled during the recent Chinese New Year holiday, with more than 2.3 billion passenger trips made during the period, according to data from the Ministry of Transportation.
Further boosting consumption and growth opportunities, China has announced two extra public holidays in 2025: one additional day for the Spring Festival and another for the May Labor Day holiday.
