This Lunar Year of the Horse, Nanjing's Xuanwu District is centering its celebrations around a distinctive "first-release" economy, creatively unlocking new ways to enjoy the Spring Festival. This approach revitalizes traditional holiday festivities, making them novel, trendy, and heartwarming, ensuring a season full of delightful surprises.
From the grand opening of M.A.C's first global art flagship store to the stunning debut of Louis Vuitton's first standalone perfume and cosmetics boutique; from AR interactions with mythical beasts from the "Classic of Mountains and Seas" for a fun-filled holiday, to the vibrant re-imagining of scenes from "The Painting of Jinling" in local streets and alleys; from pioneer fashion brands opening their first stores to set urban trends, to local Nanjing agricultural products making their debut on the stage of a high-end supermarket like Deji Plaza... Xuanwu District is breaking the boundaries of traditional Lunar New Year celebrations with a "first-release" matrix that emphasizes uniqueness and refinement. This ensures the Spring Festival is not only filled with bustling festivity but also enriched with deep cultural significance and trendy experiences.
**First Stores Gather Energy, Unlocking New Spring Fashion Trends** "Shopping at first stores and buying new products" has become a new consumer trend in Xuanwu during the Spring Festival. In 2025, Deji Plaza achieved annual sales of 26.24 billion yuan, maintaining its position as the national leader. The "first-release" economy has been instrumental in this success. The Jiangsu debut store of Three Little Goats was a major crowd-puller. This high-end Chinese brand, with 20 years of expertise in cashmere, choosing Deji Plaza signals recognition of Xuanwu's consumption strength and marks the brand's advancement into higher-tier markets. "I've been following this brand for a while and came specifically on the first day of the new year. The cashmere feels delicate and lightweight, perfect as a gift for family," said a shopper, Ms. Wang, with a smile. For her, it was more than just a shopping trip; it was a New Year's gift carrying heartfelt sentiment and taste.
Trendy first stores gathered, and new product launches were highlights. The Lola Rose store in Nanjing Deji launched a nationally limited-time debut of its Sugar Cube series K-gold watches, offering a luxurious wearing experience crafted with exquisite workmanship. Simultaneously released limited-edition "Red Luck" new products became a popular choice for New Year gifts. The Jiangsu debut store of Brooks, a century-old American professional running shoe brand, brought multiple proprietary technologies like DNA series midsole tech and GuideRails intelligent support system, attracting many sports enthusiasts who made special trips to "get new sneakers." The popularity of the Li-Ning and Palace Museum collaborative debut series at Changfa Plaza remained high, with many parents bringing their children to shop, experiencing the charm of traditional culture through trendy fashion. These first stores continue to attract novelty-seeking consumers with "unique products and experiences," keeping the commercial landscape of Xuanwu District vibrant and dynamic.
**Immersive Empowerment, Creating New Spring Experience Scenarios** With the dual boost of technology and creativity, the Spring Festival "first-release" experiences in Xuanwu District, through a series of refreshing "first encounters," are shifting consumer behavior from "checking in and playing" to "immersive experiences."
"It's so photogenic!" Inside Deji Plaza, crowds gathered in front of two magnificent large-scale art installations, with citizens stopping to take pictures. The annual zodiac-themed displays at Deji Plaza are highly anticipated. This year, Augmented Reality (AR) interactive technology was innovatively introduced. Viewers can scan a code to interact, making mythical beasts from antiquity "come alive" on their phone screens, unlocking an immersive New Year photo-taking experience.
Culturally empowered immersive experiences carry deeper meaning. The Zhenxiang and Li cultural block, in collaboration with the Deji Art Museum, centered around "The Painting of Jinling," created the "Bustling Zhenxiang, Exploring Jinling" cultural New Year event. It featured interactive experiences like "Cultural Flip Cards" and "Top Scholar Bestows Blessings," and offered benefits such as "The Painting of Jinling Digital Art Exhibition" admission tickets with stamp collection or purchases. This seamlessly blends shopping with artistic enrichment, allowing the vibrant atmosphere of millennia-old Jinling to continue rising in contemporary life.
At Xuanwu Investment Garden City, the PinkyPinky and Harry Potter collaborative Nanjing limited-time themed pop-up store sparked heated discussion on social media even before its opening. Bags, hats, hair clips, card holders... The site not only featured numerous first-release officially licensed merchandise but also launched a pop-up-exclusive plush house ring, attracting large numbers of Harry Potter fans who made special trips to visit.
Technology-enhanced experiences are blossoming in multiple locations. The Deji Plaza X-META Full-Sense VR Park launched a "Greet the God of Wealth" activity where visitors interact with a virtual God of Wealth using XR technology for a unique festive experience. Jindream Bookcity's "Exploring the Silk Road: Dunhuang Art Exhibition" used XR technology to make millennia-old murals flow and come to life before visitors' eyes. The Vacheron Constantin "Exquisite Journey" experience space, with three thematic exhibition areas paired with digital interactive installations, showcased the art of high-end watchmaking and cultural heritage, allowing citizens to appreciate quality and charm through technological interaction. These immersive, interactive special activities allow Xuanwu's "first-release" economy to transcend the single dimension of "product consumption," achieving a multi-faceted upgrade integrating "culture + technology + experience."
**Gathering Flavors, Unlocking New Culinary Surprises for the New Year** After enjoyable shopping, delightful dining is essential. This Lunar Year of the Horse, a wave of "first-release" delicacies in Xuanwu precisely captured taste buds, winning over citizens and tourists alike, allowing the festive spirit to blossom on the tip of the tongue.
Deji Plaza gathered several first-store tea beverage brands. BLACK TREE·Thai Tea gained attention with its sophisticated black, white, and gold décor; its signature 400x Molten Thai Milk Tea, appealing in both appearance and taste, attracted young people queuing to take photos and share their "first limited-edition cup of the New Year." Chuntian Aged Tea House brought specialty aged tea drinks; its signature Black Warrior Aged Taro Ball, blending tea and coffee flavors, became a new "queuing phenomenon" due to its unique taste, captivating a large number of milk tea enthusiasts.
The debut F&B offerings at Jinling STYLE were also highlights. Xi & Lu Clay Pot Restaurant focuses on fresh ingredients, with beef boasting a natural milky fragrance and oysters that are plump and tender, recreating authentic Hong Kong-style flavors. Xian Zuo Dao He specializes in handcrafted dishes; offerings like sukiyaki, fried pork cutlet, and cheese snow crab宝 use substantial ingredients, with every bite containing the warmth of handmade care, making it a popular choice for New Year gatherings.
The most heartwarming "first release" was hidden within the Deji BHG supermarket. Eighty-seven types of high-quality local Nanjing agricultural products made their collective debut for the first time, with a dedicated section covering categories like rice, fresh vegetables, and specialty fruits. "I didn't expect to find such down-to-earth products here; they're both fresh and meaningful," said Auntie Wang while selecting local specialties. This warm "urban-rural encounter" not only broadened the sales channels for local agricultural products but also added a touch of乡土 warmth and urban responsibility to Xuanwu's New Year atmosphere.
The charm of the "first-release" economy never lies solely in the novelty of the "first time" but also in the lasting, beautiful aftertaste of each encounter. This Spring Festival, Xuanwu used "first releases" as its brush, extending the traditional narrative of New Year reunion into an urban exploration that can be strolled through, touched, and savored, making the beauty of the New Year truly within reach.