World’s largest duty-free complex, Haikou International Duty-Free City, is set to open its doors to the public tomorrow in Hainan’s port city of Haikou, China (Oct 28), state-owned ChinaDaily reported. 

The duty-free shopping destination, featuring the ‘Duty-Free, Free Plus’ tagline, takes over 280,000sqm of the city’s west coast and is home to more than 800 retail brands.

Featuring six plots dedicated to duty-free businesses, high-end offices, first-rate hotels and talent communities, Haikou International Duty-Free City is designed as a hub of art, culture, and nature. 

About 4000sqm of the main store is dedicated to high-end luxury retail brands. The duty-free place also houses approximately 20 flagship catering brands and an immersive food art space – Hainan’s first indoor scene-style cultural food market.

The complex’s ground floor showcased the interactive Aura Skyline Secret Forest-themed atrium designed by visual effects company Weta Workshop. Haikou International Duty-Free City has also introduced a dome screen flying theatre and aesthetic art exhibitions, such as light and shadow art, authentic art, and multi-dimensional dialogue on “advanced, authentic, technology, and aesthetics”.

GM of Haikou International Duty-Free City, Meng Li, said at a news briefing earlier this week the shopping complex will lure foreign consumers to return and help Hainan become an international tourism consumption centre.