Suburban village rekindles passion for leisurely shopping

Young shoppers

On a chilly weekend after Chinese New Year, the market was bustling with many young shoppers from all over Beijing.

Gu Mingfei, 26, a native of Changping who works in the financial industry in Beijing, said she liked the atmosphere steeped in a "New Year vibe". What's different about the fair are the cultural and creative products that always catch her eye, she said.

She first visited the market in the middle of January, when she drove 20 minutes from her home to experience the hustle and bustle as Spring Festival approached.

Gu said she is in the habit of going to a market or temple fair during the winter break, and usually goes to Shahe Market with her family. "After this fair opened, I was pleasantly surprised to find that a fair worth visiting is so much fun," she said.

During her first visit, she purchased a refrigerator magnet in the shape of a loaf of bread for less than 20 yuan. On her second visit in February she bought a fluffy snake-shaped toy. "Most of the handicrafts here, I think, are worth buying," she said, adding that the market environment made her feel calm and joyful.

Gu's friend Xu Xiaoman, 29, who also works in the finance industry, purchased jianbing guozi — pancakes rolled into a crispy fritter.

Xu said the prices of food and goods at the market are reasonable. She said the market resembles Nanluogu Xiang shopping alley, a popular hutong that combines traditional charm with modernity in Beijing's downtown area.

"The market here is not as formal as Nanluogu Xiang, and it relaxes me because I can pick up stuff I like and bargain with the stall owner," she said.

Liza Seniagina, 32, has been to the market twice. While she sees that the items are fairly priced, she has also enjoyed experiencing Chinese New Year through the eyes of the locals.

Dong, the fair organizer, said that the village has a resident population and a daily flow of people. She hopes the market attracts new vendors who view it as a place to make their own goods to support themselves.

Wang, the baker, who has been a market stallholder for six months, said that after each fair day, he rethinks how he makes and markets his baked goods.

"Every time you have an experience, every time you have a problem you try to find a solution," he said. "You consider how to make adjustments for tomorrow's fair, and the answer might come at the end of that day."

Baking bread is not easy, as it takes time and involves many steps, Wang said. "It takes at least four hours to make this bread, from start to finish. That's not a short time, and it's actually the minimum time required for any bread," he said.

He added: "Baking is a lifelong career, and the market fair here is an opportunity, for me and my master's baking arts gallery to let more people know about pretzels and the delicate craft behind them," he said.