A growing number of investors, entrepreneurs, and tech professionals are travelling to Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Hangzhou on curated "tech tours" that offer behind-the-scenes access to Chinese electric vehicle plants, robotics firms, and artificial intelligence startups — with some packages costing up to $9,000. The trend has been fuelled by viral footage of China's humanoid robots and flying cars, as well as intensifying US-China tech rivalry, driving a fear-of-missing-out among those who see firsthand visits as a competitive edge over rivals who rely solely on research reports. Companies such as BYD (China's leading electric vehicle maker) and Unitree Robotics have become centrepieces of these itineraries, while tour operators like Shanghai-based GloPen have already hosted more than 1,000 visitors in 18 months, drawing clients primarily from Southeast Asia, India, and Europe.