In recent days, distinguished guests from multiple countries attending the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation visited Silk Street and Hongqiao Market. They purchased “Beijing Gifts”, experienced Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) culture, and ordered customized costumes for the summit. The guests were deeply impressed by the unique local culture.
On September 3, prior to the opening ceremony of the summit, the First Lady of the Republic of Seychelles visited Guantan Art Space on the fifth floor of Hongqiao Market, which offers the best view of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests (Qinian Dian). She also shopped for pearl jewelry, and sent her best wishes to Hongqiao Market. On the same day, Hongdu Group, a clothing manufacturer in Hongqiao Market, was invited by the President of Zimbabwe to the hotel to make him tailored clothes.
The flower terrace themed around the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in front of Silk Street along Chang’an Avenue is particularly eye-catching. As the summit’s opening ceremony approached, Silk Street witnessed an increasing number of African customers. They took photos in front of the large welcome screen in the south hall of Silk Street, and chatted cordially with shop owners and sales staff.
On the noon of September 4, the First Lady of Seychelles arrived at Silk Street to try on her customized gowns ordered two days ago. Half an hour later, President of Seychelles Wavel Ramkalawan arrived at Silk Street after finishing the morning session to try his tailored suits. A custom clothing merchant in Silk Street was invited to the hotel two days ago to take measurements and select fabrics for the president and his wife. A total of 15 suits of clothes were bought by the couple and their delegation.
Afterwards, they experienced a chiropractic care session, a technique rooted in TCM culture while integrating modern medical innovations that could effectively relieve discomfort caused by joint and muscle strains. “It’s an exceptional experience! Thanks for the excellent service! Keep up the great work!”, Mr. President wrote with delight. The First Lady also expressed her gratitude, “Thanks very much for giving me such a marvelous experience.”
It’s learned that Silk Street has implemented higher standards for customized clothes, silk products, craftwork, and jewellery that are popular with foreign guests. In response, the merchants have prepared goods in advance, arranged for clothing workshops to work at full capacity, and provided door-to-door customization and delivery services for VIP guests unable to shop personally. Given their short stay in China, a special 18-hour rapid customization service was launched by clothing customization stores. After leaving China, foreign guests can make online customization and repurchase inquiries by keeping in touch with the merchants through email, social media platforms or other channels.
“It costs at least 800 dollars to buy a customized suit outside China and we have to wait for two months. However, the price here in Silk Street is only a quarter of that, and the turnaround time is much shorter. We can place an order today and get our clothes tomorrow. That’s really great!” A guest from Cameroon spoke highly of the services provided there after ordering five suits at Silk Street.
Official statistics show that Silk Street welcomed 72 foreign VIP visits and 4,000 visits by summit participants from 15 African countries. Over 400 participants bought customized suits there, with the daily orders registering a year-on-year growth of 200%. A clothing customization service provider said, “Quality is our top priority as we want to make sure that every foreign guest receives high-quality products and considerable services.”
