Yiwu City is located in the south of the country, in Zhejiang Province. In a short time, it went from a little-known corner to one of the most popular outlets in China and in the whole world. There are more than one and a half million people constantly live in the city now. The city itself is called the main trade zone of China. That is why a huge number of investors, businessmen and guests are coming here. There are many different factories and plants that produce products for residents and for export. The city has excellent road conditions and a fairly high standard of living.
Yiwu is one of the hottest cities in China. During the summer temperature rises to 40 degrees but with often rains. Therefore, going here in the summer or spring, you need to take with you an umbrella, rain cover and sunscreen. During the winter weather here is almost the same as in other parts of China - the temperature does not fall too low. So, in general, you can get used to this climate pretty quickly.
As already mentioned, Yiwu is a modern shopping center. Therefore, it is built up with appropriate buildings. There are few historical buildings, but many interesting places for shopping. The city developed purely in the trade direction. It was particularly active in the 1970s, when globalization began, and local businessmen began to actively cooperate with companies from all over the world. And, like most cities of the People’s Republic of China, in 50 years it managed to reach incredible heights.
One of the symbols of the city is a large international shopping center called Futian. In fact, this is a huge covered market. It occupies three square kilometers and five floors. And almost all of this space is filled with people and goods. There are about three hundred thousand people working on the market, and there are even more visitors. For convenience, it was divided into several sectors. Products from all over China are sold here. Most of the shops, by the way, are focused on wholesale trade. Therefore, this place attracts not only travelers searching of souvenirs, but also local businessmen. It is necessary to pass the entire market until five in the evening, because at this time most of the shops are closed and people are leaving.
Another large market in the same city is Binwang. Previously, this market was intended to be a solely textile selling. Now this place has bigger variety of goods that are interesting to visitors of the city. At night the market turns into one big and variegated fair. There are many shops with various products, and food stalls, where you can try local dishes. It is definitely worth trying it’s all sorts of exotic dishes like drunken shrimp, duck tongues or fried watermelon seeds. It is very convenient and practical. Most visitors come here just to walk between the rows and relax. After all, it is not as crowded and noisy as in the day market.
And here are the top reasons from experienced travelers that should motivate you on a trip to Yiwu:
Yiwu markets are considered the largest in all of China. It is even sometimes called "the main place to buy consumer goods." And, if you take seriously the acquisition of souvenirs and various trifles, then it is quite possible to find here something unique. You can also stroll through the numerous exhibitions, where all the goods are shown as in a museum.
· Foreigners feel very comfortable here, because almost half a million immigrants live in the city and to not to forget about their home, they create a familiar to them atmosphere. There are many foreign enterprises and establishments serving various exotic dishes for Chinese. If you like multicultural cities, then you will definitely like it here.
· It is worth coming for those who are studied the Chinese language or economics. You will have a lot of opportunities for practice. By the way, if you decide to go to this city, please note that you will have to get used to the southern pronunciation. While most universities and courses teach Chinese with a northern accent.
· It is one of the cleanest and most well-kept cities in the whole country. The streets are well-maintained and neat, which is surprising, considering how many retail outlets and factories are there.
· In general, the Yiwu city will be interesting for businessmen and those who go to China for cheap shopping. In fact, this is a kind of real analogue of Taobao, Aliexpress and other sites where you can buy absolutely everything. At the same time, buyers do not have to pay for shipping or packaging of goods.
So, if you come to the China for shopping, or even plan to build a business selling items, then this is the place where you definitely need to go first