Spring Festival surge buoys consumption

A significant surge in consumption was seen across categories, including intangible cultural heritage experiences, leisure activities and hotel stays, as consumers embraced both traditional family gatherings and holiday travel during the recent Spring Festival holiday, data from an industry platform showed.

One of the standout trends was the rise of "intangible cultural heritage" experiences, according to the 2026 Spring Festival consumption data spanning Feb 14 to Feb 22, which was released by the life services unit of short-video platform Douyin.

Group purchase sales for services combining cultural heritage with local markets surged by 764 percent year-on-year, reflecting strong consumer interest in traditional experiences during the holiday season. Performances featuring cultural displays also saw impressive growth, with group purchase sales for lantern parades and waist drum performances skyrocketing by about 1,500 percent. Sales for folk performances, such as iron fireworks, dragon dances and Sichuan opera, also saw steady increases of up to 87 percent, 49 percent, and 46 percent, respectively, the report said.

For example, the Longfusi commercial area in Beijing, which showcased local cultural artworks, snacks and performances, experienced an uptick in foot traffic and sales during the holiday season.

According to the marketing department of Beijing Xinlongfu Cultural Investment Co Ltd, from Feb 15 to 23, the area welcomed a total of 850,000 visitors. Sales exceeded 10 million yuan ($1.45 million).

In addition, art museums are increasingly becoming major holiday destinations. The Shandong Art Museum, for instance, is running an exhibition themed "Qi Baishi and His Disciples from Shandong", which has captivated visitors by combining the legendary artist's iconic works with the festive theme of the Year of the Horse.

As a result, the museum has witnessed a surge in sales of horse-themed cultural and creative products, with total revenue reaching nearly 380,000 yuan. Products inspired by Qi's cultural elements have proved especially popular, generating almost 150,000 yuan in sales.

Meanwhile, dining out became a popular choice for family reunions, with group purchase orders for family dinner packages rising by 61 percent compared to last year, according to Douyin. On Chinese New Year's Eve, group purchases for holiday dinner packages spiked by 245 percent.

Holiday travel also played a major role in driving consumption. As many young people returned home, while others traveled to various cities, the demand for accommodation increased. Group purchase sales for hotels, as well as homestays, grew by 94 percent and 88 percent, respectively, compared to the previous year.

Leisure and entertainment consumption also surged, with categories such as foot massages, spas and supermarket shopping vouchers seeing year-on-year increases of more than 60 percent.

The fitness trend was equally strong, with group purchase orders for activities such as badminton, swimming and tennis courts jumping by 132 percent, 89 percent and 71 percent, respectively.

Big cities such as Shanghai, Zhengzhou of Henan province, Beijing, and Chengdu in Sichuan province dominated consumption during the Spring Festival period.