The Chinese market supplying 60% of the world’s festive decorations
Yiwu, China, Dec 14 (epa-efe).- The ‘Christmas Village’ of Yiwu, in eastern China, is known among international traders as the global epicenter of festive decorations.
It is located in International Trade City and occupies a space of 340,000 square meters with more than 9,000 booths and 10,500 business operators.
The famed saying is that if you stop at each booth for only three minutes, it will take about half a year to walk through the entire mall.
According to government data, 60% of all Christmas decorations sold worldwide are made in one of the 600 factories in the Chinese Christmas Village.
The time for shopping for artificial trees, fake snow, Santa hats, LED reindeers, and other trinkets at the Yiwu Arts and Crafts Market is almost over. The peak season for Christmas decorations is during the summer months.
Nowadays, only last-minute customers can be spotted in this labyrinth full of accessories, festive music, and religious ornaments spanning Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, and others.
Due to Covid-19, foreigners must hold a special permit to enter the complex, and police monitor the entrances.
The wholesale period for Christmas decorations closes up by the end of September and the booths are now getting ready for Chinese New Year.
According to the United Nations, Yiwu is the “largest market of petty commodity wholesalers in the world.”EFE-EPA
A Visual Story Epa’s Alex Plavevski
