Ahh, Asia. A quixotic mélange of countries, peoples, ideologies, history and . . . fun! Nothing makes your holiday a complete and utter joy by simply smiling and joining in. Yes, of course, you may not speak Mandarin or Korean, but that shouldn’t stop you. Google Translate is a popular choice that offers real-time translation (Download the target languages to your phone: and then off you go!) Alternately, Learn Basic Phrases: Before you travel, it’s helpful to learn a few basic phrases in the local language. Learn greetings, numbers, and simple phrases like “How much does it cost?” or “Do you have this in a different color?” This will make communication easier and show your effort to connect with the locals.
So, with that task handled, where should you shop, and how do you shop? Dropping in from store-to-store makes perfect sense, but what if you really want to immerse yourself? Why not try the China’s Yiwu Markets. These are essentially wholesale markets, but if you want quantity and exclusivity, these are the place to shop.
To be sure, these are not mom and pop operations, but, in a way they are. Yiwu International Trade City (Chinese: 义乌国际商贸城), also known as the Yiwu Market, is the primary wholesale market complex in Yiwu, Zhejiang, China. According to the World Bank, it is the world’s largest small commodities market. In 2013, the market sold US$11 billion of goods.
You may not ever be able to visit, but may we present shop ’til you drop Yiwu International Trade City.
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