Yiwu Wholesale Market: China's Global Trade Hub

Yiwu is a small town by Chinese standards. But it’s globally significant to anyone who has ever bought socks, zippers, or a cheap last-minute Halloween costume. The city attracts business visitors from all over the world. Buyers come year-round to survey goods and make bulk orders that end up in hardware stores, souvenir shops, and big-box retailers on every continent. According to one estimate by a local trade group, more than 60 percent of all Christmas decorations, especially lights, originate in Yiwu.