Touring The Quigping Market - Past And Present

Touring The Quigping Market - Past And Present A rather unusual street market, the Qingping market, or "Peaceful" market, was built in 1979 with permission from the then communist government. Since then, Qingping has grown to be the largest street market... Mais

Touring The Quigping Market - Past And Present A rather unusual street market, the Qingping market, or "Peaceful" market, was built in 1979 with permission from the then communist government. Since then, Qingping has grown to be the largest street market in Guangzhou, the capital city of Guangdong, China; its average annual turnover is a full quarter of the nation s turnover, bringing over $250 million to the country s coffers each year. This unique bazaar brought feelings of excitement, amusement, disgust and fascination from various visitors. The more than 2,000 stalls sold everything - snakes, turtles, herbs, dried fruits, vegetables, jade, jewelry, spices and more - to over 60,000 customers per day. Qingping was infamous for its exotic meat market, where live animals were purchased and then dispatched for eating on the spot. A local saying was, "If it has four legs, you can eat it - unless it s a table or chair. " The outbreak of the SARS virus in 2003, however, had the Chines Menos