From Grand Central to Chengdu: Apple’s 50th Anniversary World Tour Hits Asia
Tim Cook and Li Yuchun Apple Store Chengdu [Chengdu Release / QQ]
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Following a surprise Friday gala at the Grand Central Apple Store in New York City, Apple is now moving its 50th Anniversary Celebrations to the far east, with events in South Korea and China next on deck for Tim Cook’s World Tour.
Similar to the Alicia Keys concert at Grand Central Terminal, we saw signs yesterday that Apple was up to something in two more countries as the retail store at Taikoo Li in Chengdu, China, was scheduled to temporarily close Wednesday. While the specifics on that were about as mysterious as the New York City event — onlookers could only guess at something related to music or dance — Apple was a bit more open in Seoul, South Korea, announcing a Today at Apple session with South Korean boy band CORTIS at its Myeongdong Store.
Celebrate the 50th anniversary of Thinking Different by experiencing a special talk stage with CORTIS live at Apple Myeongdong. From behind-the-scenes stories of their debut album to their unique artistic vision that expands the boundaries of K-pop, you can hear about the creative process of using Apple products to record ideas and develop them into music and visuals.
The one-off session ran from 4–5 p.m. local time, and reportedly filled up in record time, with posts showing standing room only at the store.
We didn’t have to wait too long after the event in South Korea to find out what was up in China, as it turned out to be a concert hosted by Chris Lee, aka Li Yuchun, who performed on the multi-level stage that was constructed outside the store yesterday, accompanied by a dozen dancers.
Unsurprisingly, Tim Cook made the jaunt to China to celebrate with Li Yuchun, and posts of him posing for photographs and even taking some himself are all over social media, with his preferred phone being an orange iPhone 17 Pro Max — at least for this trip. We can’t rule out the possibility that Cook chose it specifically for its surging popularity in China, where influencers have dubbed it “Hermès Orange” model due to its similarity to the color used by the elite fashion brand.
Cook has also been making the rounds on the interview circuit, most recently appearing on Good Morning America, where he commented on Apple’s successes and dispelled some of the speculation around his impending retirement. As soon as the GMA cameras powered down, Cook likely made a beeline for the airport to catch his flight to Chengdu.
However, his presence in the country isn’t solely about Apple’s anniversary celebration, as China Daily reports that he’s also scheduled to attend the China Development Forum in Beijing this weekend. The party is also being dampened a bit by politics, as Chinese officials push for Apple to follow the European Union in easing App Store restrictions in the country.
According to Bloomberg, Apple has already lowered its commissions in China, dropping them to 25 percent from its standard 30 percent, but Beijing remains unsatisfied, calling for Apple to “further ease App Store restrictions and fix ‘monopolistic’ practices.” Cook will undoubtedly use his visit to China to meet with government officials to further discuss the matter in person, although he’s also expected to meet with app developers and other partners, likely including key members of its supply chain.
