Whenever I return to my hometown Laizhou, a small town in Shandong province, I would always make a trip to the local market. Known among locals as the daji (大集, big market), it’s not only a trading center but also a social hub. Every five days all year round, sellers gather at the busiest crossroads in town to set up their stalls. Local visitors are often as preoccupied with searching out familiar faces in the crowds as with perusing goods to buy. They’ll exchange greetings and catch up on the latest gossip around town. When I was a child in the 1990s, my father would often run into his mute friend on market days. I watched as they exchanged signs and murmurings with glee in the busy crowd. But since both have passed away, and I’ve moved to live in a different city, I became a mere visitor to this bustling marketplace.
People in Laizhou gather at the local market every five days
Although markets are universal, daji culture has been especially rich in Shandong since ancient times. Traversed by roads and the Grand Canal that connects China’s North and South, Shandong has long been a hub of trade across China and abroad via its ports on the Bohai Sea. This prosperous commercial culture gave rise to countless markets across the province, with the oldest, Zhonggong Market in Jinan, now the provincial capital, dating back to over 2,000 years ago.
These markets are now facing modern challenges. Many young residents like myself have grown up and moved away to attend universities, work, and settle down in bigger cities. The few of our generation and younger who stayed prefer supermarkets and online shopping to the market hubbub.
Various local culture and tourism authorities are actively trying to preserve Shandong’s ancient daji heritage. For instance, this past National Day holiday in October, the “Yellow River Market” in Yantai joined forces with the 2023 Yantai Marathon and featured folk performances, attracting tens of thousands of visitors. That’s all good for the local economy, but I still believe the essence of the market lies in its connection to the local people and the community, even as it inevitably evolves with the times.
Locals often visit the “big market” in the early mornings to buy the freshest produce
Shandong’s markets are social occasions as much as trade fairs
An antique seller arranges his products, including old coins, beads, incense burners, and books
Fresh persimmons, a Shandong specialty, on display
“Big markets” can seem chaotic at ground level, but there is often a clear order. Here seafood, vegetables, fruits, and meat sellers operate along the north-south street, while farming tools and livestock are sold on the east-west street.
As young people have left the countryside and small towns in droves for work in bigger cities, most markets in Shandong are seeing far fewer customers than they used to
Dried fish and other seafood are common goods in Shandong’s many coastal towns
A family of three cram together and ride on a red electric scooter
An adult drives a load of product on a three-wheeled motorbike in the city
Marketplace of Memories is a story from our issue, “Online Odyssey.” To read the entire issue, become a subscriber and receive the full magazine.
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