A tourist from Hong Kong recently bought some fine silk products at a shop in Nanxun Ancient Town — located in Nanxun district, Huzhou, East China's Zhejiang province — and then received an instant tax refund in just five minutes.

This marked the first in-store tax refund completed in Huzhou.

As one of the in-store tax refund merchants in Nanxun district, the store provides the "immediate tax refund upon purchase" service for international tourists.

The service is an upgraded version of the traditional departure tax refund policy, which previously necessitated waiting in line at airports.

Under the updated policy, overseas tourists can receive an instant tax refund in Chinese yuan at designated stores by signing a tax refund application. The policy also reduces the minimum purchase threshold for tax refunds from 500 yuan to 200 yuan ($69 to $27), allowing more tourists to benefit.

Nanxun district now boasts six stores providing the departure tax refund service including two in-store tax refund merchants, with multilingual guides available to assist global customers.

The combination of policy benefits and the popularity of Chinese cultural products is expanding local consumer markets. Stores are adapting by offering more handicraft products and customized services to attract tourists.

In particular, Nanxun Ancient Town has seen a 302 percent increase in overseas visits in the first quarter, boosting local consumption.