The Haiwaihai Auto City in Hangzhou has integrated a comprehensive sports park within its 450-acre facility, marking a transition toward a diversified “Auto+” business model. Located near the Dujiagiao station of Metro Line 10, the 400,000-square-meter complex, which has served as a primary automotive trading hub since 1999, now houses a multi-sport indoor cluster including tennis, badminton, rock climbing, and a specialized urban golf facility.
Transitioning from Traditional Auto Trading
The Haiwaihai Auto City, which hosts over 1,200 merchants and maintains an annual transaction volume exceeding 30 billion yuan, has begun reconfiguring its interior space to meet shifting consumer demands. According to Ma Yan, executive general manager of the Haiwaihai Hangzhou Auto City, the facility’s management began clearing out low-efficiency, secondary used-car operations on the second floor in late 2024. This move uses the building's 18-meter floor height to accommodate high-ceiling sports venues, a strategy intended to secure a competitive advantage before the market adopts similar mixed-use models.
Integration of Professional Sports Facilities
The current sports cluster includes a 16,000-square-meter urban golf facility that opened in July, featuring 56 professional simulators, an 18-hole virtual course, and private VIP suites for business networking. The complex also features a 2,800-square-meter indoor rock climbing wall, noted as one of the largest in Hangzhou, alongside courts for basketball, table tennis, and badminton. Market management reports that these facilities, particularly the racquet sports venues, frequently operate at full capacity, with some areas remaining open until the early morning hours.
Automotive Trading Drives Growth as Recreation Adds Value
Despite the expansion into recreation, management maintains that automotive trading remains the core business. Ma Yan stated that the sports venues are designed to provide incremental value and drive traffic to the automotive sectors, rather than replace them. The site continues to offer integrated services including vehicle registration, inspection, maintenance, and insurance. Financial data displayed on the facility’s central digital dashboard indicated a transaction volume of 23.514 billion yuan for the first nine months of the year, representing a 7.03% increase compared to the previous year. To further unify the site, the market is currently developing a “sports corridor” on the second floor to connect the five main exhibition halls and incorporate retail space for sports equipment.
Evolution of the Hangzhou Automotive Hub
The facility’s development is categorized by Gao Huiming, deputy party secretary and deputy general manager of the Haiwaihai Group, into five distinct phases. The site originated as the Hangzhou International Conference and Exhibition Center, focusing on auto shows in its “1.0 era.” It progressed through “2.0 one-stop trading,” “3.0 integrity-focused used car sales,” and “4.0 new energy and new media” phases. The current “5.0 Auto+” initiative focuses on creating a comprehensive “human-car-life” complex. While the shift to sports has involved a reduction in rental income—estimated by management at approximately one-third lower than traditional automotive leasing—the company views this as a long-term investment in the site’s overall vitality and customer retention.
Auto City Helps Merchants Enter Used-Car Export Market
As the Auto City refines its business model, it is simultaneously targeting the used-car export market. The facility has established a public service platform to assist smaller merchants with customs declarations, tax rebates, and international logistics. Management reports that over ten merchants have already initiated cross-border operations, supported by regular training sessions on export regulations and industry standards. The long-term viability of these new business lines and their impact on the overall market structure remains a subject of ongoing development for the Haiwaihai leadership team.
