Located at 1688 Zhongxing Road, Jing'an District, near the Shanghai Railway Station, Shanghai International Glasses City offers a remarkably international atmosphere.
International visitors can be seen in small groups weaving through the stalls, using translation apps and gestures to communicate. "Getting glasses" has become a trending topic in shopping guides for international tourists visiting Shanghai.
On TripAdvisor, a leading international travel review site, Shanghai International Glasses City ranks 5th among 620 shopping destinations on the list of popular landmarks in Shanghai and has been honored as a "2025 Travelers' Choice Award Winner". On overseas social platforms like YouTube and TikTok, viral videos recommending the glasses city continue to trend.
What draws these international visitors is more than just affordability. It is a combination of "China Speed" service, the convenience of exploring nearby business districts while they wait, and rigorous quality control by the operator. Shanghai International Glasses City is becoming a catalyst for upgrading the inbound tourism consumption experience.
China speed: Glasses ready in 20 minutes
International visitors call it "Amazing".
"Amazing!" said Mark, an Italian tourist living in Spain, as he used the word four times to describe his experience. He and his girlfriend, Furlow, from Argentina, bought four pairs of glasses for approximately 150 euros (around RMB 1,200). "In Europe, it takes at least a week to get glasses, and the selection is far more limited than here," Mark said. "For the same quality, the price would be at least double."
This combination of cost-effectiveness and high efficiency is the secret behind the appeal of Shanghai International Glasses City for international visitors.
Inside Lucy's Store Optical, one of the most highly acclaimed stores among international visitors, manager Tong Qingying is communicating the details of progressive multifocal lenses to foreign customers in fluent English. This former PE teacher has filled her English notebooks with technical terms for frames, lenses, and astigmatism, all learned through years of on-the-floor experience.
"We have international customers almost every day now," says Tong Qingying. The store provides English eye charts and reading materials, and the optometry area features the standard E chart and the Snellen chart used in the West. "We want them to feel welcome and professional the moment they walk in."
The efficiency is game-changing.
Shanghai International Glasses City houses professional processing facilities within the mall. Once a sale and eye exam are completed, data is sent instantly to a nearby workshop, where lenses are finished quickly by high-precision machinery.
According to the mall operator, this workflow allows standard prescription glasses to be ready in as little as 20 minutes; even complex custom orders can be completed within two to three hours.
"Back home, just booking an appointment with an optometrist for a prescription takes forever, and it's normal for the whole process to drag on for two weeks," Furlow said. "But here, it's finished by the time you're back from a meal."
Beyond the wait:
From optical counters to the local business districts
What intrigued the reporter was where these long-distance visitors would go during that waiting time.
"They plan their trips ahead of time. Usually, we recommend them to visit the mall across the street for food, coffee, or some souvenirs," Tong Qingying said, pointing at the Shanghai Financial Street Shopping Center across from Shanghai International Glasses City. "Many foreign visitors actually come back with their hands full—Miniso blind boxes, headwear, clothes on sale, even power banks and hair dryers. It’s spring now, so winter clothes are discounted, and they're really loving the bargains."
Mark and Furlow showed their "waiting loot" —a haul of snacks they had picked up from a Hema Fresh supermarket about 600 meters from Shanghai International Glasses City. From Chinese wellness tea to dried figs and dried apples, the two went through their finds one by one. "Living in Spain, we don't really see these kinds of specialty Chinese dried fruits and tea, and the prices are a real bargain," Mark said. This "waiting interlude" turned out to be an unexpected highlight of their trip.
This is the charm of the consumption chain in Jing'an, which serves as a core functional area for Shanghai's status as an International Consumption Center City. Shanghai International Glasses City is not isolated. It is located within the West Nanjing Road–Suzhou Creek Bay Central Vitality Zone, surrounded by several malls including the Shanghai Financial Street Shopping Center, as well as specialty supermarkets, cafes, and leisure spots like the Suzhou Creek waterfront trail.
When international tourists visit for glasses, they are drawn into the local commercial scene, creating a seamless "glasses + shopping + leisure" itinerary. This spontaneous expansion of consumption is a microcosm of the vibrant commercial ecosystem in Jing'an District. While specialized markets efficiently draw in footfall, the surrounding commercial services capture and amplify this traffic. Together, they weave a network of experiences that leaves foreign tourists enchanted and reluctant to leave.
Guaranteeing quality in operations
From market stalls to mall standards
Frank, an American living in Shanghai and working in the Suzhou Creek Bay area, was reverse-influenced last year by word-of-mouth recommendations from Western tourists. It was only then that he discovered this hidden gem of a market right close at hand. "I was blown away by how thorough the eye exam was," said Frank.
On the final day of their trip, the Kashmir family from India made a special trip based on YouTube recommendations and left satisfied with new sunglasses for everyone. Although it wasn't a typical weekend rush, the reporter ran into four groups of foreign visitors in just 40 minutes, including several organized tour groups.
As international tourists move beyond sightseeing to explore the heart of the city for high-quality, efficient shopping experiences, how can businesses capitalize on this trend?
The operator of Shanghai International Glasses City offers a solution with a distinct Jing'an flair: applying high-end mall management standards to a specialized market.
"We put a lot of thought into the initial design. All shop counters are limited to 1.3 meters in height, allowing for clear sightlines across the entire space from any point." A representative of the operator noted that this is a stark contrast to the cramped, enclosed stalls often associated with optical markets. "Our goal is to foster an open, transparent shopping atmosphere that reassures customers from the very moment they walk in."
The key factor lies in quality control.
"The eyewear sector has long struggled with opaque pricing and quality standards, and issues such as substituting inferior materials were not uncommon. Our rules are clear: customers must receive exactly the brand and model specified in their order. In the event of a verified quality complaint, our service center provides immediate resolution." According to the representative, Shanghai International Glasses City enforces rigorous oversight of the lens-processing phase to ensure all products meet the high standards.
Facing the surge in inbound tourists since last year, Shanghai International Glasses City has put software and hardware upgrading initiatives on the agenda.
"In the near future, we will complete a bilingual (Chinese-English) upgrade for all on-site signage, and the service desk will also add foreign language support." The representative revealed, adding that many merchants have taken the initiative to improve their foreign language skills, enabling them to communicate seamlessly with international tourists in English.
This virtuous cycle of "government guidance, market self-discipline, and proactive merchant evolution" is a microcosm of the world-class business environment in Jing'an District. From expanding foreign card POS coverage and facilitating tax refunds to encouraging bilingual services and standardizing market integrity, a range of "invisible hands" are supporting the "reverse overseas shopping" trend.