As the midsummer heat sets in, Beijing is buzzing with renewed vitality. A massive summer consumption carnival, dubbed the Jingcai Yixia (Colorful Summer) series, has officially kicked off, weaving together the city”s historical charm with modern commercial trends.
Running from June through October, the citywide initiative features over 1,000 deeply integrated activities spanning culture, commerce, tourism, sports and exhibitions. Coordinated across all 17 districts of the capital, the campaign focuses on five major themes: vibrant nightlife, sporting events, trendy shopping, children’s summer activities and culinary exploration.
The underlying logic of this urban economic upgrade and the city’s strategic direction were recently highlighted during the 2026 Wangfujing Forum, which coincided with the fifth anniversary of Beijing’s development as an international consumption center city.
Setting the tone for this transformation, Sun Xinjun, secretary of the Communist Party of China Dongcheng District Committee, emphasized that the district will expand the “diamond effect” of prime locations like Wangfujing and Qianmen. Sun noted that the district will vigorously develop the headquarters economy and the first-launch economy, promoting the deep integration of traditional culture with new technologies to create a vibrant commercial ecosystem.
To truly understand this transformation, consumers must experience it firsthand. “If you want to make this summer wonderful, you must personally step into Beijing’s new business formats, new models and new scenarios,” said Piao Xuedong, director of the Beijing Municipal Commerce Bureau.
Piao proudly unveiled the city’s first batch of 10 benchmark cases for new consumption scenarios, noting he had personally visited all of them to witness how scenario innovation drives economic upgrades. In Dongcheng district, the “Longfu Trendy Market” integrates historical heritage with modern vitality. Piao shared that he had visited the market six times since February, praising its blend of intangible cultural heritage, creative stalls and immersive interactive performances.
Similarly, in Xicheng district, Zhonghai Daji Lane positions itself as an “urban cultural living room”. Situated on Luomashi Street, it preserves heritage sites like the former residence of Kang Youwei, a Chinese political thinker and reformer in the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), while introducing modern retail in a way that, according to Piao, “blurs the line between above-ground and underground shopping”.
High-end commercial landmarks are also redefining the city’s consumption heights. In Chaoyang district, the Sanlitun Taikoo Li North Area has completed a massive upgrade, hosting top-tier international brands like Louis Vuitton, Dior, Tiffany and Hermes.
Meanwhile, emerging consumer demand is being met through highly specialized, theme-driven experiences. The Pop Mart City Park in Chaoyang district has built an immersive fairy tale world wrapped in popular intellectual properties like Monsters and Dimoo.
Other benchmark scenarios include Zhongguancun Darongcheng in Haidian district, which Piao noted is affectionately called the “Sanlitun of Haidian” by local college students. In Fengtai district, the Changxindian historical block has been revitalized, utilizing its thousand-year postal road history and red industrial memory.