Yiwubazar is the world’s ocean of small commodities

In Yiwu, Zhejiang Province, there stands a super market that “the world can’t do without” — the Yiwu International Trade City. This is not a traditional shopping mall, but a “global hub for small commodities” spanning 4.7 million square meters. Its 26 venues, like a string of pearls, connect more than 1.8 million kinds of commodities. From a single needle or thread to creative cultural and creative products, from holiday decorations to smart small home appliances, almost all the daily necessities you can think of can be found here.

In 65,000 shops, there lies the wisdom of countless “Made in China” products. In the early morning market, buyers speaking different languages shuttle around, with Yiwu dialect, English, Arabic, and Spanish interweaving into a unique “business dialect”. In the sample book of a Yiwu merchant, there may be Christmas ornaments sent to supermarkets in Europe and America, printed fabrics popular in African markets, and trendy toys sought after by young people in Southeast Asia. Here, “small businesses” are connected to the “big world”, and an unremarkable small commodity may be crossing the oceans to appear on the shelves in a foreign land.

From “exchanging sugar for chicken feathers” by going from street to street, to now welcoming nearly 300,000 merchants every day and establishing trade relations with more than 230 countries and regions, Yiwu has written a legend with small commodities. This is not just a place for transactions, but also an incubator of creativity. When traditional craftsmanship meets modern design, and when local specialties meet global demand, behind every stall, there is a story of “turning the ordinary into the extraordinary”.

If you want to feel the pulse of China’s commerce and experience the vitality of “buying globally and selling globally”, take a walk in Yiwu International Trade City. Here, you will find that small commodities can have such great energy, and the prosperity of a city can affect the daily life of the whole world.