Destination guide · China
China: 8 Viral Brands To Buy On Your Next Trip
Harmay, DJI, Melt Season and five more, at prices you won't see back home.
Ten years ago, Western logos were the ultimate status symbol in China. Today it's the Guochao era, “China Chic,” and the shift is from “Made in China” to “Created in China.” Gen Z is choosing domestic brands because the quality rivals Western imports, and even the Western brands are cheaper here because warehouse-style stores cut out the middlemen. I did the digging on where to buy what. Here are the eight brands I'd put on your list.
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🛍️ The list
- 01
Harmay (话梅) [HAR-may]
In the videoThe “Sephora of China”
An industrial-style beauty warehouse known for discounted full-size luxury. It's so hot that Kylie Jenner picked Harmay for her China fragrance launch. I grabbed a Kérastase travel shampoo here for about $5.60. The exact same travel size is $22 at Sephora in the US, which is 75% less.
- 🇺🇸 US price
- $22 at Sephora (travel size)
- 🇨🇳 China price
- ~$5.60 USD
- Savings
- About 75%.
- Where
- Stores across mainland China.
- 02
DJI (大疆)
In the videoThe Dyson of creator cameras
You might know them for drones, but DJI has basically become the Dyson of creator cameras. The new Osmo Pocket 4P just dropped with dual cameras and a portrait lens, and it isn't available to buy in the US. Here you can pick one up off the shelf. It also has over 100GB of built-in storage, so you don't even need an SD card.
- 🇨🇳 China price
- ~$565 USD, and less than European pricing
- 🇺🇸 US price
- Not sold in the US
- 03
Insta360
BonusImpossible shots made easy
Yes, Insta360 is 100% Chinese. They're the masters of creative, impossible-looking shots, from the invisible selfie stick to tiny GO cameras that clip on anywhere. If you want the travel angles that stop the scroll, this is the one to grab alongside a DJI.
- The math
- The camera itself is a little cheaper, but the real savings are on bundles and accessories: a full kit on JD.com or in an electronics hub runs about 20–25% less than Western retail.
- 04
Melt Season
In the videoThe “Le Labo of China”
Famous for craftsmanship in quiet-luxury fragrance, and Estée Lauder even invested in them. Think of it less as perfume and more as wearable art, with airy notes of green tea and bamboo. Their viral scent “One Day” is the one to look for.
- 🇺🇸 US price
- Up to ~$200 from niche resellers
- 🇨🇳 China price
- ~$108 USD in Shanghai
- Savings
- Over $90 on the exact same bottle.
- Where
- The brand barely exists outside of China.
- 05
Florasis (花西子)
BonusMakeup as an heirloom
Florasis started in 2017 by West Lake in Hangzhou, and it's the brand behind the ornate, engraved makeup that keeps going viral on Douyin. Lipsticks come in hand-carved cases, and the formulas lean on botanicals like peony, lotus and pearl. It has reached the US, where the pricing lands at roughly $49 for a lipstick and $59 for a palette, so it's worth comparing the shelf tag when you walk in.
- 🇺🇸 US price
- ~$49 lipstick, ~$59 palette
- Why buy in China
- You can see the full range and the packaging in person, which is half the appeal.
- 06
Judydoll (橘朵)
BonusThe queen of C-beauty
If you love the glittery, soft, glass-skin Douyin makeup look, this is the one. Judydoll is famous for its metal-rod mascaras and iced-tea lip glosses, and it's priced so low you can build a whole face for what one high-end lipstick costs back home.
- 🇺🇸 Import price
- ~$18–$20 USD
- 🇨🇳 China price
- ~¥35 RMB ($5 USD)
- Savings
- Roughly 70–75% per product.
- 07
Laopu Gold (老铺黄金)
BonusHeritage gold, and the line out the door
A Beijing-based brand of 24k, handcrafted gold jewellery that has become one of the most talked-about names in China. Pieces are fixed-price, which means you're paying for the craftsmanship and design, not just the weight of the gold. This one isn't a bargain; it's a look. Expect a queue, especially at the Shanghai Xintiandi store.
- Price check
- Most pieces run ~¥10,000–¥50,000 RMB (roughly $1,400–$6,800 USD).
- Where
- Xintiandi and Grand Gateway 66 in Shanghai, IFC Mall in Hong Kong, and its first overseas store at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore.
- 08
Songmont (山下有松)
BonusQuiet luxury without the logo
Minimalist leather bags that look far more expensive than they are, with no giant logo. The Luna “dumpling” bag is the one everyone wants. The flagships in Shanghai and Beijing are calm, spare and very photogenic.
- 🇺🇸 US price
- ~$350–$450 USD
- 🇨🇳 China price
- ~¥1,600–¥2,200 RMB ($220–$300 USD)
- Savings
- Essentially the price of a second bag.
💸 Before you spend
⚠️ The 3% surcharge trap
Alipay and WeChat Pay are close to mandatory in China, but if you link a foreign card to them you're usually charged a 3% fee on purchases over 200 RMB. On a camera, that adds up.
Big retailers like DJI and Songmont almost always have physical card terminals. Ask to pay with your Visa, Mastercard or Amex directly: you skip the fee and keep the points.