3-week online shopping festival set for Greater Bay Area

Authorities on Thursday will kick-start a three-week online shopping event that spans the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area to bolster emotional and commercial ties, according to a report from Xinhua News Agency.

The event will involve more than 298,000 brands and 13 million items, with discounts and other preferential policies available, it said, adding the products range from food to cosmetics to home appliances.

An online opening ceremony will be held at 3 pm on Thursday, the report added.

The event is guided by the Ministry of Commerce, the provincial government of Guangdong, and the liaison offices of the central government in Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions.

The event came as China is about to celebrate the traditional Mid-Autumn Festival, which falls on Sept 21, and its National Day on Oct 1. The Mid-Autumn Festival is a traditional festival that focuses on family reunion.

The Greater Bay Area ranks among the most economically vibrant regions in China. The Pearl River Delta city cluster in Guangdong is known for its manufacturing sector and is home to some of China's best-known homegrown brands.