Source: Yiwu sourcing agent Author: Helan Date: 2010-09-05
Yiwu was the place where I decided to start off my life in China? Now there are two types of people in this world , people who have heard about Yiwu and people who don ' t even have the slightest clue where on earth Yiwu is . Though most of my friends back home belong to the latter category , fortunately I belong to the former . It was my friend & brother in- law who introduced me to this place and came up with a brilliant idea of me joining him in his foreign trade business in Yiwu . So now if anyone from back home asks me where in the world Yiwu is , I just tell them to look around for MADE INCHIN A stuff in their houses and there is a very high possibility that it has been imported from Yiwu! And if they still don't get it,I just tell them Yiwu is just 4 hours away from Shanghai (which hopefully gives them some understanding of my present location).
So what does this small city of Yiwu have that has attracted hundreds
of thousands of foreigners to visit every year and has got more than 30 ,000 of them to settle in a completely different country . Well the answer is a bit obvious; Yiwu boasts one of the biggest Wholesale Markets in the world. Where else in the world can you buy products ranging from staple-pins to digital equipment under one roof or probably better phrased is where else in the world you could probably' die of exhaustion' trying to cover the market in one day!
Well I believe that ' s enough said about Yiwu , because I am sure if you stay here you must have already seen and heard of its phenomenal growth . So let me talk about my first impressions and experiences over the last 3 months in Yiwu.I landed in Yiwu after a brief stay in Guangzhou which happened to be quite a big city with a huge airport. The airport in Yiwu on the other hand was a nice small one and it was surprisingly nice to get out of the airport within 15 minutes of de-boarding the plane. However my real experience started from the next day onwards when I actually got to see the city.
So is that it ? Was my impression about Yiwu that it ' s only an opulent business city ? Well you can say that it certainly was my first impression,however Yiwu has much more to offer than that. Firstly let me tell you the pleasure I have got in reduced travel times. Coming from a big city I feel I must have spent half of my time in my car waiting for the traffic to move. Yiwu is a blessing for all those of us who have spent time in traffic waiting for things to move; in Yiwu you can reach almost any destination in less than 15 minutes. So what do I do with this reduced travel time? It just gives me more time to myself,now I can go for pleasant walks down the numerous parks this city has to offer,go for a swim,play a game of basketball or just have a relaxing foot massage at the innumerous massage parlors in the city .
The most important I would like to share is my experience with people in Yiwu. I have to say that Chinese people are amongst the friendliest people in the world. They just love to talk to foreigners and they are genuinely interested in where we come from and what do we do. Never have I ever felt a slightest bit of animosity from anyone I have met here and that is a really reassuring thing for any foreigner. Whether speaking in broken English or just plain Chinese people here love to talk and ask you plenty of questions. That brings me to an essential thing foreigners need to learn to really enjoy life in China. Once you are able to speak and understand Chinese you will not only become independent but also be able to mix & mingle with the people here.
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