Roundup: Container Commercial Streets & Markets That Opened in 2023 (3)

8. Gongqingcheng Youth Night City, Jiangxi

Led by the Gongqingcheng municipal authorities and developed by the Youth Innovation Culture & Tourism Group, this municipal project aims to enrich university students' after-class life. It offers a new kind of leisure destination that brings together food, entertainment, and events under one roof, and also serves as an important platform for student entrepreneurship.

Notably, the project was jointly delivered by two state-owned enterprises—Youth Innovation Culture & Tourism and Guangtou Digital Technology. Through partnership they pooled resources and complementary strengths. State-owned operators also bring more mature experience in management, R&D, and market expansion, which strengthens brand trust and market influence as the project enters the market.

Aligned with Gongqingcheng's cultural-tourism brand goals and the push for urban vitality—and guided by national, provincial, and local policy—the project targets three end goals: a Guochao (national-trend) art experience consumption destination for Jiangxi Province, a nighttime cultural-tourism consumption cluster for Jiangxi, and an entrepreneurship-and-consumption demonstration zone for Jiujiang City.

Many brand tenants from across the country have already signed on, including MINISO, Itaewon Garden Restaurant, UFO Flying Saucer LIVEHOUSE, Dingpao street-stall food court, and dozens of regional specialty snack vendors. The mix spans distinctive dining, viral snacks, drinks and bakery, entertainment experiences, intangible cultural heritage, original crafts, art and creative goods, and lifestyle boutiques—building a signature commercial street for Gongqingcheng.

9. Kechuangli Commercial Street, Zhaoqing New District

Kechuangli Commercial Street sits inside the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area Eco-Tech Industrial Park in Zhaoqing New District (at the intersection of Yong'an Avenue and Kechuang Avenue). Covering about 27,000 m2, it is the park's commercial complex. Plans include industrial-style container shops, a 1,500 m2 music lawn, food venues, and more.

The street comprises nine zones. Phase One focuses on five blocks—food, retail, daily services, a 1,500 m2 music lawn, and Quiet Courtyard—plus parking, creating a new landmark for dining and social life in the industrial park.

Zone A Food Court: about 20–30 light-meal, specialty snack, and bakery outlets forming the park's food plaza.

Zone B Shopping: 28 daily-service formats—leisure tea drinks, beauty and hair, 3C digital, pharmacy, lifestyle services, leisure rooms, and more. Shop sizes range from 18 to 500 m2, so tenants can freely choose and open a distinctive small store of their own.

Zone D Quiet Courtyard: 15 small courtyards planned for regional cuisine, private kitchens, varied cooking styles, hotpot and barbecue, viral chill bars, and similar formats.

Container shops at Kechuangli offer outdoor, indoor, and upstairs-terrace spillover spaces of many kinds. They let each merchant show a unique style, create flexible leisure and entertainment scenes, and—through distinctive appeal—spark more social interaction.

10. Lanxi Road Commercial Street, Yuxi, Yunnan

In September 2023, the container-style Lanxi Road Commercial Street opened to guests. Wave after wave of diners walked the night market to eat and play, making it Yuxi's new autumn highlight. Strolling Lanxi Street, you see red, yellow, and green containers transformed into neat barbecue stalls, fried-rice shops, milk-tea counters, and children's craft booths. Square tables and small stools outside invite people to sit and eat. Beyond solid night-market fare, the street has a unique atmosphere—inflatable castles and a mini train make it a family outing favorite. Tasty, fun, and photogenic, Lanxi Street meets nearby residents' diverse consumption needs and brightens their cultural life.

11. Green Motion BOX Vitality Block, Haitang Street, Jinnan District

Tianjin's "eco, tech, vitality" container block is open.

Opening time: evening of August 26, 2023

Location: Green Motion BOX Vitality Block, Haitang Street, Jinnan District (intersection of Yuezhi West Road and Sports Ring Road)

Positioning: eco, tech, and vitality—a commercial space built from containers in Tianjin

Audience: university students, urban residents, industrial workers, national exhibition visitors, and more

As the kickoff venue for Jinnan District's Golden Autumn Vitality Consumption Festival, Green Motion BOX sits at the center of 13 universities around Haitang Street. It blends the "Green Valley," "Smart Valley," "Commerce Valley," and "Joy Valley" concepts, aiming to create a distinctive, high-energy new commercial format for Jinnan. Beyond serving nearby students, residents, workers, and exhibition crowds, it seeks to become a next-generation Tianjin youth destination for leisure, consumption, and entrepreneurship—and to help upgrade local commercial services and urban vitality.

The project includes six diversified formats: vitality block, parent-child entertainment, active play, eco camp, leisure sports, and WE-WORK; three strong IP operations—regular music shows, trend IP, and themed celebrations; three surprise structures—the Everyday Upstairs stepped building, Green Motion Cube, and Wish Tower; plus large-scale playful layouts such as themed decor, colorful lighting, new-element scenes, the Green Motion Hertz Stage, and local cultural innovation.