The eight-year-old son of Guangzhou businessman Terry Fang recently arrived at a blunt conclusion: Chinese tech is “cool”.

The boy’s impression was formed not in the classroom, or even online, but through repeated exposure to real-world industrial settings.

Earlier this year, Fang took his children to a local low-altitude aviation company, where they watched electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft navigate and avoid obstacles in real time.

For China’s urban middle class, hi-tech industrial tours are fast becoming a default holiday choice and even, in some cases, replacing traditional sightseeing. The boom is also strengthening loyalty to home-grown brands and offering businesses a low-cost, high-impact marketing channel as households embrace the country’s tech craze.

A typical one-day “industrial study tour” – including factory access – may cost about 400 yuan (US$58.5), while more multi-day programmes can run into the thousands. Demand remains strong despite the costs, with tours for leading electric vehicle (EV) makers and drone companies often selling out within minutes on social media and booking platforms.

“My sons now believe Chinese tech products have a real edge,” Fang said, adding that early exposure subtly shaped and locked in future brand preferences.