Major internet events in 2016

Alibaba offers virtual reality shopping experience

E-commerce gaint Alibaba invested in US-based mixed reality startup Magic Leap in February. Then it announced the establishment of its own VR research lab, GnomeMagic Lab. And in July, Alibaba provided a preview of its "Buy+" virtual store at the Taobao Maker Festival in Shanghai. At the start of this month, it officially launched the virtual reality (VR) online shopping channel in the mobile app of its e-commerce site.

A journalist experiences VR shoppping at Tmall's Double 11 shopping festival in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, Nov 11, 2016. [Photo/VCG]