The first offline store of the IP retail brand “iQIYI Store” under Chinese streaming company iQIYI opened in Beijing on July 6. [Photo/VCG]
Chinese streaming major iQiyi is redefining the future of brick-and-mortar retail by integrating its blockbuster intellectual properties into immersive urban theme parks designed to deliver unique emotional experiences.
“The core of commercialization today is creating emotional value — making people surprised, moved and eager to share the experience with friends,” said Gong Yu, founder and chief executive officer of iQiyi. He made the remarks during the Wangfujing Forum in Beijing earlier this month, outlining the company’s ambitious foray into offline cultural tourism.
As e-commerce has largely optimized the efficiency of purchasing standardized goods, traditional offline retail faces an existing question regarding what actually compels consumers to leave their homes.
“Physical commerce is no longer simply shifting from selling products to selling services; it is transitioning from competing for transaction efficiency to competing for users’ time,” Gong said. He observed that the media industry has fought for user time for centuries, and offline commerce must now adopt a similar mindset. Whether consumers are willing to visit, stay, take photos to share, and eventually return for repeat purchases has become more crucial than ever before.
This shift is driven by evolving consumer psychology. While previous generations often used shopping as a way to display personal labels and brand wealth, modern consumers increasingly prioritize their own comfort, a sense of participation and emotional returns. Young people often visit shopping malls not to buy a specific item, but to seek a change in mood or to socialize.
To address these evolving demands, iQiyi is spearheading the “theme-parkization” of commercial spaces. This concept does not mean simply cramming roller coasters into shopping malls. Instead, it reorganizes commercial areas using the core narrative, exploration and interactive elements of traditional theme parks, transforming users from passive wanderers into active participants.
This strategy is already materializing. iQiyi opened its first offline theme park, iQiyi Land, in Yangzhou, East China’s Jiangsu province, in February. By extending IP lifecycles through physical experiences, the company aims to deepen audience connections and support future content creation. With additional parks already in development for Kaifeng in Henan province and Beijing, iQiyi is positioning itself at the intersection of digital innovation and cultural tourism.
At the heart of iQiyi Land is the seamless integration of the platform’s massive repository of hit dramas — such as Love Between Fairy and Devil and The Knockout — with cutting-edge technology. Gong noted that iQiyi essentially consists of three elements: highly engaged users, creators empowered by artificial intelligence and valuable IP assets. Guided by its corporate mission to “let dreams bloom and make happiness simple”, the company aims to create a synergistic effect by bridging online streaming with offline recreation.
“By leveraging technological innovations, we can transform digital assets from our film and television productions into offline products and services,” Gong said. This approach enables the creation of full-sensory theaters and immersive non-player characters, or NPCs, performances within limited spaces, significantly reducing costs and accelerating the update cycle compared to traditional amusement parks.
The upcoming Beijing iQiyi Land will be located in the Wangfujing Xiyue Shopping Center. The Wangfujing commercial district, a premier urban destination, recorded a staggering 110 million visitor trips in 2025. However, Gong emphasized that foot traffic alone is not enough. The area’s continuous iteration capabilities, unified regional management and its strong appeal to young demographics interested in trend culture make it an ideal testing ground for this innovative model.
“We hope it becomes an open, accessible urban park that continuously updates,” Gong added. “Users might come for a specific drama IP, an interactive experience, or simply to stroll and chat with friends, generating consumption naturally.”
By bridging the gap between online entertainment and offline engagement, iQiyi hopes to create a closed loop where online content generates emotion, and offline scenarios bring that emotion to life, ultimately securing the most scarce resource in today’s market: people’s time, Gong said.
Huang Qi contributed to this story.
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