On the first day of 2025, Yiwu City in east China, known as the world's capital of small commodities, was bustling with activity as holidaymakers flocked to the one-stop shopping destination that offers a diverse range of products from around the world.
At the Yiwu China Import Commodities City, merchants showcased their best-selling items. Visitors could find global treasures including Spanish ham, South African and French wines, and more, all in one place.
The ongoing New Year Shopping Festival at the market features nearly 150,000 varieties of products from over 100 countries and regions. The market has also issued vouchers that allow shoppers to enjoy discounts of up to 50 percent on their purchases.
"I'm getting these stuffs at pretty good prices, about a third lower than usual," said Ms. Liu, a local shopper. This was the tenth New Year spent in Yiwu for Syrian businessman Mike, who just made a special trip to the market to begin his year.
"[Here,] you can buy products from any country. On the first day [of 2025], I came here to find food I can share with my family," Mike said. Mike shopped at a pilot store that's part of Yiwu's initiative to boost innovative development in the import sector. The store imports goods in bulk, selling products at prices up to 30 percent less than before.
"By this morning, we had already processed nearly 120 orders. We hope to expand our import channels in the new year and bring more high-quality foreign goods to the Yiwu market, allowing residents to buy even more affordable products," said Xu Zhijian, the manager of the pilot store.
Yiwu market starts 2025 with one-stop shopping experience for global treasures
