I went to my first ChinaJoy thinking I’d “just pop in for an hour.” Six hours later I was dehydrated, carrying two bags of free merch I didn’t need, and watching a man in a Pikachu costume argue with a security guard about whether his tail counted as an oversized prop. This is the guide I wish I’d had.
ChinaJoy is Asia’s largest digital entertainment expo, and it lands in Shanghai every summer like a neon-lit comet. Over 300,000 visitors packed the halls last year. This year’s edition runs July 31 to August 3 at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre (SNIEC) in Pudong. If you are in town and even mildly interested in gaming, tech, or watching grown adults cry over limited-edition figurines, it is worth a visit. Here is everything a expat needs to know.
Venue: Shanghai New International Expo Centre (SNIEC), 2345 Longyang Road, Pudong. It is a massive complex of connected exhibition halls. You will walk a lot.
Getting there: Take Metro Line 2 or Line 7 to Longyang Road station. The Maglev also stops here if you want to arrive in style. From central Puxi, Line 2 takes about 30 to 40 minutes. Expect crowds at the station during opening hours, so arrive before 9:30 AM or after 11 AM to skip the worst of it.
Buying tickets as a expat: Head to en.chinajoy.net, the official English-language site. You can register with a passport number instead of a Chinese ID. Payment works through Alipay or WeChat Pay. On the day, look for the international visitors window near the main entrance to collect your badge. Bring your passport.
ChinaJoy is split into two worlds. The B2C halls (open to all ticket holders) are where the spectacle lives: game demos from major publishers, VR experiences, esports tournaments, cosplay competitions, and enough free swag to fill a suitcase. The B2B halls are invite-only, focused on industry networking.
For most visitors, the B2C side is the show. Here is what to expect:
Arrive early, leave mid-afternoon. Gates open around 10 AM but the queue starts forming by 9. If you arrive by 9:30, you get a solid three hours before it becomes uncomfortably packed. The mid-afternoon heat plus peak crowd makes 2 to 4 PM the worst window. Come back at 4 PM if you want a second round with thinner crowds.
Bring water and snacks. The expo halls have food stalls, but lines are long and options are limited. Shanghai in late July hits 35 to 38 degrees Celsius with high humidity. The halls are air-conditioned, but the walks between them are not. Buy a cold bottle from a convenience store on the way in. Your future self will thank you around hour three.
Charge your phone fully and bring a power bank. You will use your phone for payment, translation, maps, photos, and messaging people you are trying to meet inside a building the size of several football pitches. It will not last.
Language tips. Big international booths (Sony, Tencent, NetEase, miHoYo) usually have some English-speaking staff. Smaller domestic booths rarely do. Having WeChat’s real-time translate ready is genuinely useful. A few phrases that help: “ke yi pai zhao ma?” (can I take a photo?), “zhe ge zen me wan?” (how do I play this?), and “xi shou jian zai na?” (where is the bathroom?).
Payment. Everything inside runs on Alipay and WeChat Pay. Some merch booths accept cash, but do not count on it. If you have not set up mobile payment in Shanghai yet, our Alipay and WeChat Pay guide walks you through it in ten minutes.
The entrance halls are always the most crowded because everyone stops there first. Walk past them. The back halls often have shorter demo queues, friendlier staff, and more interesting indie titles that have not been covered by every gaming blog already.
The cosplay competition is worth watching even if you have never played the games. The production value is high, the costumes are absurdly detailed, and the crowd enthusiasm is contagious. Check the schedule on the ChinaJoy WeChat mini-program for times.
The outdoor food and merch area between halls is where the impulse purchases happen. Limited-edition figurines, collaboration keychains, artist prints. If you see something you like, buy it then. Popular items sell out by day two.
Skip the VIP experience packages unless you specifically want reserved seating at a main-stage event. The regular ticket gives you access to everything in the B2C halls.
SNIEC sits right next to Longyang Road metro station, which is served by Lines 2, 7, and 16. Line 2 connects directly to People’s Square, Jing’an Temple, and Nanjing Road. Follow the signs for “New International Expo Centre” once you exit.
After the event, the metro station will be crowded. Walk one station down Longyang Road and catch a Didi from a side street instead. The surge pricing is moderate and you avoid standing in a sardine car for forty minutes.
If you are coming from Hongqiao, take Line 2 directly (about 50 minutes). From Pudong Airport, the Maglev to Longyang Road takes eight minutes and costs 50 RMB, and it is genuinely one of the most fun commutes in Shanghai.
ChinaJoy 2026 runs from July 31 to August 3 at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre (SNIEC) in Pudong, at 2345 Longyang Road. The nearest metro stop is Longyang Road station on Lines 2, 7, and 16, plus the Maglev.
Yes. Expats can register with a passport number on the official ChinaJoy ticketing page at en.chinajoy.net. You may need to use a Chinese payment method like Alipay or WeChat Pay. Passport holders collect tickets at a dedicated international visitors window near the main entrance.
Signage is mostly in Chinese, but major international exhibitors run bilingual booths. The official ChinaJoy website has an English version at en.chinajoy.net. Having a translation app on your phone and a few key Chinese phrases will help with the smaller booths.
ChinaJoy is loud, packed, occasionally overwhelming, and genuinely one of the most energetic events Shanghai puts on all year. Even if gaming is not really your thing, the sheer spectacle of 300,000 people losing their minds over a character reveal trailer is an experience worth having at least once. Just bring water.
Choice Shanghai · Curated in person
