Local Market

When travelling in Yunnan, visiting some local markets is a great opportunity to experience the authentic local lifestyle. On the market day, people often wear traditional colorful clothes, and there are many stalls selling fresh produce, textiles, meat, traditional Chinese medicine, daily necessities and so on. Some of the markets are daily, and some are weekly, which exist in every corner of Yunnan.

1. Local Market in Kunming

Jingxing Flowers and Birds Market

Located at Yongdao Street (甬道街), Jingxing Flowers and Birds Market was opened for business in 1983, gathering vendors selling flowers, birds, fish and so on, and finally became the biggest flowers and birds market in Kunming. Besides various kinds of flowers, birds, fishes and pet-insects, item for collection and decoration such as jewels, handcrafts, antiques and commemorative coins are also sold at this market. 

Related reading: The Flowers and Birds Markets List in Kunming

Dounan Flowers Market in Kunming

Dounan Flower Market is home to over 200 species of over 3 million flowers. It is a famous wholesale flower market, the national heart of flower supplement, and also one of Asia’s biggest flowers trading market. Its trading floor is super busy, which is worthy of the name “flowers sea”, and there’ll be numerous varieties of flowers, so you can buy a big bunch of all kinds of flowers with little money. And Dounan Flower Market is also a good place for photography fans. 

Tea Wholesale Market in Kunming

Yunnan tea is one of the world’s finest, with its industry dating back 1,700 years. Green tea, jade green tea, mixed tea, Xuanchun tea, Hongbao and Yinzhen tea are all available. One of the most famous teas in China, Puer tea has been produced in Yunnan for centuries. If you head to tea wholesale market in Kunming, you can see lots of tea in the same place and buy the tea at a wholesale price.

Mushuihua Wild Edible Mushroom Market

Mushuihua Market in the provincial capital of Kunming is the biggest wild mushroom market in Yunnan. Established in 2005, the market provides many wild mushrooms with a wide range of varieties from the common ones to the rare ones, such as morels, matsutake, bluebell fungus, dry ba fungus, porcini fungus, chicken fir mushroom and so on. July and August are the busiest months for the market due to the rainy season of Yunnan.

2. Local Market in Dali

Shaping Monday Market

Shaping Town offers a lively weekly market with plenty of local color. Shaping Monday Market starts early. A great chance to see local farmers out in force and literally watch plenty of horse trading. It is the good place for travelers to experience the local custom. The long-historical Shaping market is ratified by the government of Yunnan province to trade cultural relics inferior to the third class.

Xizhou Morning Market

Have a walk in the Xizhou Morning Market, this bustling area show you all kinds of product from groceries and daily commodities to handicrafts etc.  Xizhou is a great place to if you want to observe the typical Bai architecture and understand Bai ethnic culture. Traditionally-clad Bai men and women participate in this daily market and each morning, villagers in Bai dresses gather in a small market to buy and sell their produce and daily wares. 

Shaxi Friday Market

Shaxi Friday Market is one of the most colorful and photogenic market in Yunnan. Market day is the highlight of the week in Shaxi valley, when everybody congregates in the old town to stock up on produce. Rows of traditionally dressed Bai matriarchs squeeze together along the kerbside to offer a wide range of unusual local fruit and vegetables. 

3. Local Market in Lijiang

Zhongyi Market

Zhongyi Market is a large farmer’s market close to Lijiang Ancient Town, with the most authentic Lijiang lifestyle. It is also the most lively place in Lijiang ancient city besides Sifang street. Here you can buy cheap and beautiful fruits and vegetables. Besides, you can also see the daily life of traditional Naxi people, buy traditional Naxi clothes, eat all kinds of Naxi foods, and taste the authentic Naxi culture.

Shigu Town Market

Shigu Ancient Town is one of the famous ancient town at the river bank of the upper reaches of Yangtze River. On the date at the end 3, 6, and 9, there will be fair market, and people from the surrounding villages will come to Shigu Town Local Market, which is a good place to feel the local life. What you see here is more realistic than what you see in the old town of Lijiang.

4. Local Market in Xishuangbanna

Xiding Thursday Market

Every Thursday, it is busy and crowded on the street of Xiding Town. It is the day of Xiding Thursday Market. In the early morning, many peddlers come here and began to prepare for their commodities. Many ethnic people will come here from different villages of Xiding. Many ethnic minorities come together for their trades, such as Dai, Wa, Bulang and Hani people. It is very popular among Chinese and foreigners, sometimes Burmese also come to the market. 

Menghun Saturday Market

Menghun Saturday Market has a long history. Throughout the ages, the traditional market day of the Menghun has been an important day for the exchange and trade of commodities and daily necessities once a week among the local minorities of Dai, Hani, Lahu, Brown and Wa nationalities. It is known as “one of the most lively and ethnic markets in Xishuangbanna”.

Menghai Sunday Market

At Menghai Sunday Market, you will see more about the old lifeway of Dai groups. Menghai market is not only the trading market of Dai nationality, but also the distribution center of exchange and trading among local nationalities. The Aini people (branch of Hani), Browns, Jinuo, Lahu and Yao people living on the mountains communicate with each other by joining the market and trade in their own production and daily necessities.

Ganlanba Morning Market

Ganlanba Morning Market is a window to understand the life and customs of the Dai people. All the businessmen are Dai women and girls dressed in Dai skirts. It’s fun to have snacks, fruits and local specialties you haven’t seen even if you wander around. There is no certain date for the market, but a few nearby villages set their own custom, usually every 3-5 days.

More local markets in Xishuangbanna.

5. Local Market in Honghe

Local Market in Yuanyang County

See All of Ethnic Markets and Schedule in Yuanyang County.

Local Market in Jinping County

See Local Ethnic Markets and Schedule in Jinping County, Honghe.

More Local Market in Honghe

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