Every smaller town in Serbia has its own Chinese shop, and bigger cities have Chinese shopping centers. If you have ever been in them you could see an incredible variety of goods. They say they have everything, from a needle to a locomotive. How is that possible? Have you ever wondered how someone collects it all in one place, consolidates it later and resells it, we will reveal the secret - they get the goods at YIWU. In this text, we will show you where and how.
The word Yiwu (yì wū) means loyal crow in Chinese. The city got its name from an old story about crows that help good people. Yiwu is a county-level city under the jurisdiction of Jinhua in Central Zhejiang Province, East China.
It is located 300km south of Shanghai, 150km west of Ningbo, 150km north of Wenzhou and 100km south of Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang province.
The original name of Yiwu is Wushang, it was founded in the Qin Dynasty, around 222 BC. However, its existence dates back to the Neolithic era. Yiwu District was first established in 624 AD, during the Tang Dynasty, and lasted as such for a good 1,300 years, that is, until May 1988, when Yiwu District was upgraded to a higher level under the name of Yiwu City.
Today, the city has 716,000 local residents and over a million migrant workers, including about 40,000 foreigners from Korea, the Middle East, Africa, South America and other parts of the world. The total number of inhabitants is about 1.8 million.
Yiwu City's economy is one of the fastest growing in China after the national opening up. Something similar to Shenzhen. The streets, which until 20 years ago were dirty and strewn with cow dung, are now flooded with the most modern cars.
From an economic point of view, Yiwu is one of the 10 most economically important cities in China, and the Yiwu market is the reason for the economic success of the city itself.
The city is best known for its wholesale mall which is considered a regional tourist attraction. We presented this center in detail on the b2b pages of the main menu.
About Yiwu Market
Essentially, Yiwu is a multicultural city that attracts numerous domestic and foreign manufacturers and traders. They all come to visit the world's largest wholesale market: Yiwu Wholesale Market.
Yiwu is the largest wholesale market in the world and specializes in "small goods". It is known in China as a commodity center. China's small goods market in Yiwu has been ranked in the top 100 largest open markets in China for six consecutive years.
When you come here you will encounter a large selection of quality but also cheaper products.
The term "small goods' includes items such as jewellery, decorative items, household goods, stationery and small electronic equipment. These items are often similar around the world. For this reason, Yiwu is famous as a source of this kind of goods and as such a paradise for buyers.
Here in one place you will find a wide range of products with over 75,000 stands displaying a range of products.
The market gathers 320,000 different types of goods divided into 1,502 categories from 34 industries (Statistics published by the United Nations show that there are a total of 500,000 type of goods around the world). From here, products are sold to 219 countries and regions with exports of over 1,000 standard containers per day, so this market is mainly focused on B2B exports.
So, it can be said that Yiwu is more like a fair instead of a market. The only difference between Yiwu and other outdoor fairs is the fact that Yiwu is open all year round except during the Spring Festival.
The vendors you will find in this market come from all over China. They may have their factories in Yiwu, but they may be from other cities such as Zhuji, Ningbo, Taizhou, Wenzhou, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, etc. Since the suppliers are concentrated in one place, it is easier for customers to make centralized purchases.
When it comes to the types of things you can find there; the most prominent and strongest industries are footwear, tapes, needles, zippers, miscellaneous crafts, hosiery, office supplies, eyeglasses, electrical equipment, toys, jewelry, and hardware. You can also find small items such as hair clips etc.
Since Yiwu Market is the largest small goods market, you can expect to get things at a relatively lower price. Please note that only bulk purchases are made in Yiwu. So this is not a market for individual purchases.
Here are the 18 best markets in Yiwu:
- Yiwu Jewelry Market
- Yiwu Artificial Flower Market
- Yiwu Toy Market
- Yiwu Arts and Crafts Market
- Yiwu Suitcase and Bag Market
- Yiwu Clocks and Watches Market
- Yiwu Rainwear and Umbrella Market
- Yiwu Office and School Supplies Market
- Yiwu Sports & Outdoor Market
- Yiwu Cosmetics Market
- Yiwu Socks Market
- Yiwu Belts and Straps Market
- Yiwu Towel Market
- Yiwu Shoe Market
- Yiwu Daily Use Market
- Yiwu gloves and mittens market
- Yiwu Hats and Caps Market
- Yiwu Scarves and Shawls Market
Facts and figures about Yiwu market
- Beginning of work in 1982
- It covers 5.5 million square meters
- There are more than 75,000 stores
- It is open every day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- More than 210,000 employees are present on the market every day
- Over 210,000 people visit the market every day
- Products from Yiwu are exported to 219 countries.
- About 570,000 standard containers are exported every year
- The market has 14,000 permanent foreign customers
- Total sales on the market are approximately $15 billion annually.
Yiwu Wholesale Market is considered the best in the world primarily because no other wholesale market is as well planned and organized as this one. All areas are divided based on product category.
The layout of Yiwu Market is quite impressive.
The market basically has five main parts, and each part has three to five floors. All five parts are connected so that you can go from one to the other four without leaving the building.
On the pages of our site about Yiwu we presented all five markets. You can see where what is and what is being sold so you don't wander around too much.
Our suggestions for buying from Yiwu
Before you start shopping in Yiwu, if you decide to visit here are a few things to keep in mind. With 75,000 stalls and a total area of over 5.5 million square meters, your walk can be quite long.
There are 75,000 shops to visit if you want to buy more than one type of product. However, it doesn't necessarily have to be strenuous. With the following steps, buying from Yiwu can become easier.
- Plan your trip in advance
- Take pictures of what interests you
- Don't rush to pay
- Take care of quality
- Have all the necessary knowledge
- Stay in Yiwu for 5 days or more
- Get Yiwu Buying Agent
- Choose the right products
Check out some of our photos and videos from Yiwu Market below.
Watch more videos about Yiwu on our Youtube channel playlist Yiwu.
If you if you need help with purchasing goods from China, write to us.
Walking through Yiwu Market
