You can find Chinese shops in almost every small town, and bigger towns even have Chinese shopping malls. If you have ever been inside them, you could see an incredible selection of goods β literally from needle to locomotive. How is that possible? If you have ever wondered how someone gathers and organises such a huge amount of goods in one place for resale, the answer is Yiwu. In this text, we will show you where it is located and what a walk through Yiwu Market looks like.
The word Yiwu (yì wū) in Chinese means "loyal crow". 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 Zhejiang province, in eastern China.
It is located about 300 km south of Shanghai, 150 km west of Ningbo, 150 km north of Wenzhou, and around 100 km south of Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang province.
Short history of Yiwu city
The original name of Yiwu was Wushang, and the settlement was founded in the Qin dynasty, around 222 BC. However, its existence dates back even further, to the Neolithic period. Yiwu County was first formed in 624 AD, during the Tang dynasty, and as such it lasted about 1,300 years, until May 1988, when Yiwu County was upgraded to a higher level named Yiwu City.
Today, the city has around 716,000 local residents and over one million migrant workers, including around 40,000 foreigners from Korea, the Middle East, Africa, South America and other parts of the world. The total population is estimated at approximately 1.8 million.
The economy of Yiwu is one of the fastest-growing in China after the national opening β it is often compared with Shenzhen. Streets that were dirty and scattered with cow dung twenty years ago are today flooded with modern cars and new buildings.
Yiwu Market β the heart of the city
From an economic point of view, Yiwu is one of the most economically significant cities in China, and Yiwu Market is the main reason for the city's economic success. The city is best known for its wholesale shopping centre, which is also considered a regional tourist attraction. We presented this centre in detail on the B2B pages of the main menu.
What is Yiwu Market and what is that "small goods"
In essence, 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 for small goods β Yiwu's wholesale market. Yiwu is the world's largest wholesale market specialising in "small goods". It is known in China as the centre of goods. The small goods market in Yiwu has been at the top of the list of the 100 largest open markets in China for several years in a row.
When you come here, you are faced with a huge selection of products β from higher-quality to cheaper variants. The term "small goods" covers items such as jewellery, decorative items, household goods, office supplies and small electronic equipment. These items are often similar worldwide, so Yiwu has a reputation as a source of this type of goods and, as such, is a paradise for buyers.
In one place, you will find a range of offerings that is difficult to see anywhere else. The market gathers around 320,000 different types of goods divided into more than 1,500 categories from several dozen industries. From here, goods are exported to more than 200 countries and regions, with exports of over 1,000 standard containers daily, so the market is mainly focused on B2B export.
It can be said that Yiwu is more like a large fair or exhibition than a classic market. The difference from other exhibitions is that Yiwu is open all year round, except during the Spring Festival (Chinese New Year).
Suppliers from all over China in one place
Suppliers you will find in this market come from all over China. Some have their own factories in Yiwu, but many are from other cities such as Zhuji, Ningbo, Taizhou, Wenzhou, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and others. Since suppliers are concentrated in one place, it is easier for buyers to make centralised purchases.
When it comes to the types of goods you can find, the most prominent and strongest industries are footwear, ribbons, needles, zippers, various crafts, socks, office supplies, glasses, electrical equipment, toys, jewellery and hardware. You can also find small items such as hair clips and similar articles.
Since Yiwu Market is the largest small goods market, you can expect to get most things at a relatively lower price. Keep in mind that shopping in Yiwu is mostly wholesale β this is not a market for individual purchases.
Most famous markets in Yiwu
Below are the 18 most famous markets within Yiwu Market that most foreign buyers visit on their first visit:
- Yiwu Jewellery Market
- Yiwu Artificial Flowers Market
- Yiwu Toys Market
- Yiwu Arts & Crafts Market
- Yiwu Luggage & Bags Market
- Yiwu Watches & Clocks Market
- Yiwu Rainwear & Umbrellas Market
- Yiwu Office & School Supplies Market
- Yiwu Sports & Outdoor Market
- Yiwu Cosmetics Market
- Yiwu Socks Market
- Yiwu Belts & Straps Market
- Yiwu Towels Market
- Yiwu Shoes Market
- Yiwu Daily Use Products Market
- Yiwu Gloves Market
- Yiwu Hats & Caps Market
- Yiwu Scarves & Shawls Market
Facts and figures about Yiwu Market
- Start of operations: 1982
- Total area: around 5.5 million square metres
- More than 75,000 shops and stalls
- Opening hours: daily from 9 am to 5 pm
- More than 210,000 employees daily in the market
- Over 210,000 visitors daily
- Products exported to around 219 countries and regions
- Annually around 570,000 standard containers are exported
- The market has around 14,000 permanent foreign buyers
- Total annual sales amount to around $15 billion
Yiwu's wholesale market is considered one of the best in the world, primarily because few other wholesale markets have such a well-planned and organised layout. All areas are divided by product categories.
How Yiwu Market is organised
The layout of Yiwu Market is quite impressive. The market essentially has five main parts, and each part has three to five floors. All five parts are connected so you can move from one to the other four without leaving the building.
On our website pages about Yiwu, we presented all five parts of the market. You can see where everything is located and what is sold, so you do not wander too much during your first visit.
Our suggestions for shopping in Yiwu
Before you start shopping in Yiwu, especially if you plan to visit it personally, it is important to prepare well. With 75,000 stalls and a total area of over 5.5 million square metres, your walk can be quite long and demanding.
There is a huge number of shops you can visit if you want to buy multiple types of products. However, this does not necessarily have to be tiring β with the following steps, shopping in Yiwu can become significantly easier:
- Plan the trip in advance
- Take photos of products you like
- Do not rush with payment
- Pay attention to quality and specification
- Find out about customs, transport and documentation
- Plan to stay in Yiwu for 5 days or more
- Get a Yiwu purchasing agent (a local partner who tracks orders and quality)
- Choose products that make sense for your market
Photos and video from walking through Yiwu Market
Below, view some of our photos and video clips from Yiwu Market. You can see more videos about Yiwu on our YouTube channel in the Yiwu playlist .
If you need help sourcing goods from China, contact us via the contact form.
