For days, residents of Zhangjiagang, Jiangsu province have swarmed the agricultural wholesale market in Qingcao Alley to purchase goods for the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year.

The agricultural market launched its New Year Shopping Festival a few days ago and now attracts thousands of customers every day. The market recently proposed an initiative to call for civilized and honest business, good product quality and low prices.

The market has 10 trade areas featuring frozen goods, aquatic products, meat, vegetables, fowl, subsidiary foods, cereal, oil, fruits and general merchandise.

The price of fish has fallen compared to the same period last year, and so the aquatic products area is packed with people snapping up bargains, such as shrimp, lobster, grass carp, turtles, sturgeon and crabs.

"I sell about 10,000 kg fish every day", said a seafood wholesaler, "5,000 kg more than at ordinary times."

Besides fish, meat is also one of the favorites. At present, pork, beef and mutton have seen a rise in sales.

"I really appreciate the agricultural market with multiple, good-quality and low-price products," said a Changshu resident who spent 3,000 yuan ($456) on Spring Festival goods.