Taixing Technology Property Development Co., Ltd., originally a real estate–based enterprise, began acquiring land in Shiqiaopu, Chongqing, in 1995 and subsequently developed the early Taixing Building, which was completed in 1998. Initially intended to operate as a hotel, the project was later reconsidered due to uncertain prospects. Senior management then conducted field research in cities such as Chengdu, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen, where they observed the emergence of a new commercial format known as the “computer city,” which demonstrated relatively stable growth. Based on these observations, the company decided to reposition the project toward this emerging retail model.

In 1999, the Taixing Communications Computer Market was officially established, marking the beginning of a competitive era for computer retail markets in Chongqing. Upon its opening, Taixing quickly attracted a large proportion of local computer vendors, owing to its superior infrastructure, large scale, and intensive advertising campaigns. It soon became a dominant marketplace, shaping a widely recognized consumer habit summarized in the phrase: “For computer assembly, go to Taixing.” In its early years, Taixing invested approximately 2 million RMB annually in advertising and was among the first to establish, in collaboration with local government, an in-mall consumer complaint center to mediate disputes between merchants and customers.

Beginning around 2011, however, digital retail markets in Shiqiaopu broadly faced declining sales. For some vendors, revenues fell to less than one-third of their peak levels, signaling a significant downturn in the local 3C retail economy.

Chongqing, Shiqiaopu, China