Thirty years ago, Yiwu in Zhejiang Province was a common city, not much different from hundreds of other small cities in China.
Now, though, it boasts one of the largest GDPs of cities its size and has a vibrant international community.
In the Chinese language, there's even a phrase coined about the spirit that engendered the groundbreaking changes there: jimao huan tang.
The phrase literally means to exchange chicken feathers for sugar, which was a bold free-market practice prevailing among Yiwu communities in the 1970s and 1980s against the backdrop of the planned economy system.
It became a symbol of Yiwu people's economic vision, which then led Yiwu to the frontier of China's reform and opening-up of the past three decades.
I was very much impressed by Yiwu's economic vitality during my two-day stay. The city, with its wholesale markets scattered throughout, surprisingly retains a rather slower pace of life while offering every possible form of entertainment you can experience in the mega-cities.
From Shanghai to Yiwu, it only takes a one-and-a-half-hour ride on the high-speed railway. I was amazed by the scenery of mountains girding Yiwu Train Station, which immediately relieved me of my urban tension and lured me into a laid-back mood amid the bliss of nature.
Due to time constraints, I didn't march into the mountains around Yiwu, but whiled away most of my time wandering in the downtown area.
One must-see in Yiwu
Every visitor to the city must see Yiwu International Trade City (YITC, pictured above).
Perhaps some have seen YITC's many branches in cities such as Lanzhou in Gansu Province and Suqian in Jiangsu Province, but those are usually a single building with a lot of floor space. It's amazing to see the scale of YITC at its home.
Extending several blocks, the trade city has five districts that all together boast a shopping area of more than 4 million square meters.
Each district deals with distinct commodities, for instance, clothes, bedding, accessories, stationery, gifts, toys, electric and electronic appliances.
Each district has five floors, and there are even ramps to facilitate driving directly to each trade district.
It's almost impossible to see all of YITC; one local official estimated that if you spend 3 minutes in each shop for 8 hours a day, it still would take a year and half to finish the tour.
So it's better to have a clear shopping list in mind and directly go to the right districts.
Another place good to go at night in Yiwu is an area known for exotic food streets. Photos: Sun Shuangjie/GT and CFP
Night markets and bars
Due to the rising e-commerce, YITC is not as crowded as it used to be. But don't take it for granted that the passion for trade here has lessened; just take a trip to a night market downtown.
I went to Binwang Night Market at around 10 pm, and it was in its full swing. It was comprised of six long rows of stalls, mainly dealing with clothes, shoes, bags and accessories.
At each end, numerous food vendors sold popular regional delicacies. It's fair to say that Binwang Night Market is as exciting as the famous night markets in Taipei.
Goods go for pretty cheap here, but it's better to compare the prices in different stalls before buying. It's not surprising to find that a T-shirt you just bought for 50 yuan ($7.50) is going for half the price next door.
Another place good to go at night is an area known for exotic food streets, between Chouzhou Road North and Gongren Road North, south of Santing Road and north of Huagong Road.
The area started as restaurants catering to foreign businessmen, and now it's a popular overall tourist destination offering barbecue, alcohol and karaoke. Businessmen from the Middle East also developed a string of Muslim restaurants here.
Local delicacy
If you want to try local Yiwu dishes, I would recommend some plain-looking small restaurants selling handmade noodles and other snacks.
Yiwu handmade noodles are thicker than usual noodles and have a chewy texture. You can choose noodles flavored with traditional braised pork in soy sauce, or try them with another Yiwu specialty, mianjin, steamed gluten from wheat.
On Huagong Road, there is a restaurant named Old Yiwu Snacks that offers a good selection of Yiwu noodles and small dishes.
With only 16 yuan, you can get a set of dishes, including a bowl of buckwheat pasta (pictured above and known as "buckwheat mouse" in Yiwu), a slice of fried pancake and a small dish of tangyang, a kind of glutinous cake made of rice and brown sugar.