银

现在正值一年中最闷热的三伏天。         Foreign tourists explore customized clothing services at the South Bund Soft Spinning Material Market in Shanghai. Photo: VCG
For many overseas travelers arriving in Shanghai, the Bund and the Oriental Pearl Tower are no longer the first stops on their itineraries. Instead, they head straight to the South Bund Soft Spinning Material Market, where custom-tailored outfits have become a signature experience driving "Chinamaxxing," a viral lifestyle trend popular among global travelers.
The market buzzed with energy, with conversations in various foreign languages echoing across storefronts, when a Global Times reporter visited it on a work day. 
Tourists from different countries take body measurements, browse design references, and discuss tailoring preferences with local shopkeepers. 
Evolving from the time-honored Dongjiadu cloth market, the area now hosts more than 280 fabric vendors and tailor studios, forming a complete industrial ecosystem for custom apparel. 
Inside one local shop, two foreign tourists excitedly tried on a series of Tang-style garments, taking photos of their favorite looks before professional tailors record precise measurements for their custom-fit clothing.
Gabbo, an Italian traveler, told the Global Times that he first discovered the market through TikTok and Instagram. As silk markets in Shanghai have grown popular among Italian tourists, he and his travel companion Nicco came specifically to shop for authentic traditional Chinese garments and premium silk pieces.
"I picked out a brown Tang-style jacket and a white shirt, while Nicole got matching white shorts. We wanted to try something new and plan to wear our custom outfits out tonight because the styles are very fashionable," Gabbo said. "The bespoke measuring service is professional and thoughtful, and the whole shopping experience has been wonderful."
Intl tourists emerge as a major force
Benefiting from China's visa-free policy covering Italy, the pair only needed to submit standard tourist documents for entry. They plan to stay in China for roughly two weeks to explore local culture and lifestyles.
Local tailor shop owners have witnessed a striking surge in overseas customer demand. Driven by expanded visa-free policies and viral social media exposure, growing numbers of foreign tourists come to the market for original Chinese-style custom clothing. 
According to shop owner Li, international visitors now account for 30 to 40 percent of her clientele, a dramatic reversal from previous years when domestic customers dominated orders.
"We source fabrics directly from suppliers and hire in-house tailors to eliminate middleman markups. Our bespoke pieces cost only one-third of similar custom outfits in Western countries," Li explained. The shop also offers expedited services tailored for short-stay travelers, allowing visitors to pick up finished garments within days.
All garments feature original in-house designs that retain classic Tang-style outlines with soft, wearable color tones suitable for daily wear. Many foreign customers style the traditional jackets with casual trousers and sneakers, creating unique, modern outfits that blend Eastern aesthetics and Western casual fashion, Li said.
Qian, another tailor with 20 years of industry experience, has also seen robust growth in overseas orders, with her annual order volume rising 20 percent year-on-year. 
Most foreign visitors come for custom-tailored suits and enjoy the full immersive bespoke production process. Her workshop divides labor for suits, shirts and dresses to boost efficiency, once completing a full set of custom clothes and delivering them to a tourist's hotel by 10 p.m. on the very day of ordering. The studio also accepts personalized design drafts brought by international visitors.
Backed by the mature textile supply chain of the Yangtze River Delta, hand-tailored suits at the market cost merely one-quarter of equivalent bespoke outfits in Europe, with 24-hour rush order services available. This year, market foot traffic has increased roughly 30 percent year-on-year, with foreign shoppers making up 60 percent of all customers, the Global Times learned from the market.
Behind the change are China's visa-free policies. China's 240-hour visa-free transit policy covering 55 countries has greatly facilitated cross-border travel. Official data shows China received 22.91 million inbound foreign visits in the first half of 2026, a year-on-year increase of 20.4 percent, China Media Group reported.
From short-term visits to lasting influence

Boosted by China's visa-free policies, the social media trend "Chinamaxxing" has gone viral worldwide. Easier cross-border travel has allowed young foreigners to immerse themselves deeply in authentic Chinese lifestyles, including traditional fitness practices, Chinese dramas and local food culture. 
Beyond garment customization, Shanghai's inbound tourism experience sector continues to expand. Spring Travel recently launched hands-on traditional snack workshops for foreign visitors, focusing on wonton and spring roll making. Tourists can cook, taste homemade snacks and learn the cultural stories behind local cuisine. 
The workshops have received visitor groups from the US, Brazil and Australia and earned wide praise, the Global Times learned from Spring Travel.
Sugiurat Akuto, one foreign participant, said that making Shanghai snacks left him with precious travel memories. Before leaving China, he asked chefs for original recipes, hoping to recreate authentic Chinese delicacies at home and share his unique Shanghai travel experience with family and friends.
Unlike disposable souvenir purchases during routine sightseeing, custom-tailored clothes and learnable cultural skills turn short travel experiences into enduring cross-cultural connections. "These custom outfits will remain precious memories for decades. Even 20 years later, we will still remember custom-tailoring clothes in China. Every time I see these garments in my wardrobe, I will recall this special trip," Gabbo said, adding that distinctive local custom pieces are far more valuable than ordinary travel souvenirs.
Industry analysts note that the Chinamaxxing phenomenon marks a structural upgrade in China's inbound tourism consumption. Driven by optimized visa policies, foreign travelers are shifting from superficial landmark sightseeing to high-value, personalized immersive experiences. Longer stays and upgraded consumption drive coordinated growth of modern service industries and inject new vitality into China's service economy.
Research by the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce shows that inbound tourists who opt for customized consumption stay an average of six to seven days in Shanghai, more than double the city's average 3.21-day stay for general foreign visitors. 
Current cultural tourism experiential products represent only the initial stage of this emerging industry. China's rich cultural resources can be continuously developed into high-quality, replicable tourism offerings for global audiences, Zhang Yi, CEO of iiMedia Research, told the Global Times on Tuesday.
Most importantly, the Chinamaxxing trend boosts people‑to‑people exchanges. One‑off on‑site travel purchases translate into steady overseas demand and repeat orders, helping international audiences gain deeper insight into China's charm, Zhang noted.
。出门5分钟，流汗2小时。坦白说，每到这个季节，我也曾有过同样的挣扎。

B | 但跑了这么多年，我越发明白一个道理：三伏天跑步，比的不是谁狠，而是谁更“怂”。

C | 在这只想钻进空调屋的天气里，能坚持迈开腿，本身就是一种胜利。

D | 配速上“认怂”你有没有这种感觉？夏天一抬腿，心率就爆表，以前5分半配速稳如狗，现在6分半都感觉心脏要跳出来。别慌，这不是你体能崩了，而是身体在高温下的自然反应。高温高湿下，血液要分出一部分到皮肤去散热，供给肌肉的氧气自然就少了，你跑不动，实属正常。这时候，最需要做的就是在配速上“认怂”。主动把配速降下来，哪怕比平时慢1分钟甚至2分钟，只要心率控制在舒服区间，这就是一个完美的夏训。

E | 不看配速看心率，是夏季跑步的第一条黄金法则。三伏天的慢，不是弱，而是给心肺“降降温”，给身体“充充电”。稳住了，你就赢了。时间上“认怂”夏天跑步，不能硬刚太阳。早上5点半到7点，晚上7点以后，是夏季跑步的“黄金窗口”。别看只是早起了两小时，体感温度可能相差5到8度，这是完全不同的两个世界。如果在上午9点到下午5点之间出门，那就不是锻炼，是玩命。高温暴晒下，中暑、热射病的风险直线上升。

F | 5点起来，跑完步，洗好澡、吃完早餐，发现这一天才刚刚开始，那种富足感会让人上瘾。

G | 距离上“认怂”很多跑友有个执念：跑不到10公里，感觉像没跑。但在三伏天，这种想法得放一放。炎炎夏日，不要总想着跑长距离。把长距离适当缩短，或者降低强度，改为“少食多餐”的跑法，效果可能更好。比如你习惯夜跑10公里，可以拆成早晨4公里唤醒身体，晚上5公里释放压力。总跑量没少，但单次负荷降低了。别小看这种看似“偷懒”的调整，它能帮你扛过最难受的桑拿天。实在热得受不了，就学学那些聪明的老跑友：跑一跑，走一走而是不受伤、不厌跑，能跑得足够久。心态上“认怂”这是最高级的“怂”。翻开朋友圈，大神们好像完全不受季节影响，依旧4分配速狂奔，依旧每天半马打卡。再看看自己跑得气喘吁吁的狼狈样，是不是瞬间就焦虑了？这种心态上的焦虑，比高温更容易拖垮我们。三伏天跑步，最终要“认怂”的，是心态。我们要接受“慢下来”的现状，不需要和任何人比，更不需要和去年的自己较劲。

H | 天气不同，身体状态不同，数据根本没有可比性。这种心态上的“认怂”，不是放弃，而是与自己和解，不因季节的波动而陷入自我怀疑。

I | 写在最后等这个夏季过去，当秋风送爽时，你一定会发现，自己比以前进步了。到那时，你会感谢这个夏天愿意“认怂”的自己。因为这份“怂”，不是软弱，而是取舍的智慧，是细水长流的韧劲。身为普通跑者，我们跑步，不就为了每天乐呵呵吗？不就为了把一天的负能量跑掉吗？至于配速、距离这些数据，都不重要。放下对“数据”的执念，才能收获跑步真正的自由。