When it opens and when it closes
Sources: 2026 dates — Zhejiang China Commodities City Group / Yiwu Market Group notice published 2 Feb 2026, via Tencent News (read 2026-09-22); 2025 dates — yw.gov.cn notice, 17 Jan 2025. Daily hours — operator page on chinagoods.com lists District 1 trading 09:00–11:30 and 13:00–17:00 (summer and winter); the gates open earlier and stalls pack up from 16:30.
Chinese New Year 2027 (Year of the Goat, 6 February): the market group had not published the 2027 closure notice when we checked on 22 September 2026 — it normally appears in late January. Expect roughly two weeks from about lunar 26th (≈ 2 Feb 2027) to lunar 12th (≈ 18 Feb 2027), i.e. overlapping the start of Ramadan 1448 (expected 8 Feb 2027, see the Ramadan page). We update this box the day the notice is out.
- Yiwu market operator · District 1 introduction (chinagoods.com)
- yw.gov.cn · Spring Festival market closure notice (2025)
- Yiwu Municipal Government portal (yw.gov.cn)
Six districts, what each one sells
| District | Chinese | Main categories (public listing) | What visitors say |
|---|---|---|---|
 | 一区 | Toys, artificial flowers, jewellery and accessories, crafts, Christmas decorations | Oldest and most crowded; District 1 East, 4th floor, is where single pieces are sold (¥2–10 hair clips and charms); enter by Gate 8 or 12 and take the lift. The Christmas section is here — see the guide |
 | 二区 | Hardware, tools, electronics, luggage, umbrellas, kitchenware | Largest footfall of foreign buyers |
 | 三区 | Stationery, sports goods, cosmetics, glasses, office supplies | Gate 66 area has opticians visitors recommend for cheap glasses |
 | 四区 | Socks, textiles, hats, shoes, scarves, daily-use goods | Gates 79 and 84 for bags and hats; 4th floor scarves, 2nd floor hats; a Hui-run tea shop on the 4th floor |
 | 五区 | Imported goods (national pavilions), bedding, textiles, auto accessories | The one district visitors say is retail-friendly with marked prices: African, Indian, Thai pavilions on the ground floor, Street 2 |
 | 六区 · 全球数贸中心 | New (2025) — bags, plush and charms, jewellery | Wider aisles, fewer people, prices like District 1; enter by Gate 185 and walk towards Gate 150; a free shuttle runs here from the railway station |
Category listing follows the market's public floor plan; visitor notes are from public posts. Verify on the district map boards at each entrance.
International Trade City · District 1
Price not reported
International Trade City · District 1
义乌国际商贸城一区Toys, flowers, jewellery — and the retail 4th floor.
International Trade City · District 2
Price not reported
International Trade City · District 2
义乌国际商贸城二区Hardware, tools, luggage; most foreign buyers.
International Trade City · District 3
Price not reported
International Trade City · District 3
义乌国际商贸城三区Stationery, sports, cosmetics, glasses.
International Trade City · District 4
Price not reported
International Trade City · District 4
义乌国际商贸城四区Socks, textiles, hats, scarves.
International Trade City · District 5
Price not reported
International Trade City · District 5
义乌国际商贸城五区Imported goods with marked prices.
District 6 · Global Digital Trade Centre
Price not reported
District 6 · Global Digital Trade Centre
全球数贸中心（商贸城六区）New in 2025: wider aisles, same prices.
How to walk it
- Each district is a multi-floor block; floors are grouped by category and shops are numbered by street and lane (e.g. 2F, street 12, shop 12345). The Yiwugo app (义乌购) finds a shop number and shows a panorama.
- Free Market Line 1 loops the districts; District 1 to District 5 is about 2 km on foot, and a taxi from District 1 to District 6 sits in traffic at peak times — visitors suggest an electric scooter or the shuttle between districts.
- Photograph the shop number and the map board at each entrance; taxis drop you at the district gate you name.
- Sundays and the days before holidays are busiest; on holiday afternoons many shops close early.
Halal food courts and prayer rooms
| District | Halal food inside | Prayer room | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lanzhou noodle counter on the 1st floor of District 1 (visitor-reported); more in the Futian blocks behind the gates | No public source names one; not confirmed by us yet | Ask your supplier — most showrooms let regular buyers pray in the booth |
| Nothing halal-labelled named by visitors inside; the Futian halal row and Bosphorus (Xinguanghui) are a 5–10 min walk | No public source names one; not confirmed by us yet | Ask your supplier — most showrooms let regular buyers pray in the booth |
| Not named in any public source yet — use the restaurants outside | No public source names one; not confirmed by us yet | Ask your supplier — most showrooms let regular buyers pray in the booth |
| Not named in any public source yet — use the restaurants outside | No public source names one; not confirmed by us yet | Ask your supplier — most showrooms let regular buyers pray in the booth |
| Not named in any public source yet — use the restaurants outside | No public source names one; not confirmed by us yet | Ask your supplier — most showrooms let regular buyers pray in the booth |
Prayer rooms: we have not verified a district and floor location. Ask market staff about access. A supplier’s showroom is private; use it only with permission. Confirm mosque access and Friday prayer arrangements directly before travelling. Halal restaurants within a 10-minute walk are on the district-by-district page.
Can I visit? Can I buy one piece?
Yes, anyone can walk in; there is no ticket. The market is wholesale, so shops quote per carton — jewellery by the dozen — but many will sell small quantities at a higher unit price if you ask politely: 可以零买吗？(kěyǐ líng mǎi ma — can I buy retail?). Visitors' tips: look for shops with a STOCK sign (they hold goods on hand), ask confidently rather than browse, and expect prices that are not lower than online for single pieces — the point is choice, not bargains. District 1 East 4th floor, District 5 and District 6 are the retail-tolerant zones. Prices are negotiable; pay by cash, Alipay or WeChat.
Not everything is on display: shops are showrooms and the goods ship from factories.
What visitors warn about at the market
The most repeated warning: people who offer to lead you to ‘their factory shop’ outside, taxi drivers recommending souvenir shops, and gate-side sellers. Walk to a numbered shop instead.
Stalls start packing from 16:30 and holiday afternoons empty out; make the market a morning.
Visitors who compared say District 6 prices match District 1; go there for space, not savings.
Several visitors warn against buying stones or bracelets without expertise; identical-looking items vary wildly in price.
Traders read a rucksack as ‘tourist’; buyers who want wholesale prices bring a trolley and a shop list.
Can’t walk six districts yourself? Send a local
One-off tasks at a fixed price, paid per errand — no contract, no commission on your orders. Photos and video for everything.
- Business-card & catalogue drop from $49 ≈ ¥343
- Market scouting from $59 ≈ ¥413
- Live video market walk from $39 ≈ ¥273
From the station, the airport and your hotel
From Yiwu Railway Station
Free Market Line 3 and District 6 shuttles, the metro to the International Trade City stop (exit D, 300 m), bus 801, or a taxi (visitors report about ¥58.7).
Guide
Questions visitors ask
What time does Yiwu market open?
Officially 8:30 to 17:30 every day. Visitors consistently warn that stalls begin packing up from about 16:30 and that many shops close early on holiday afternoons, so plan the market as a morning visit.
Is Yiwu market closed on Sunday or Chinese New Year?
It is open on Sundays. It closes for about two weeks at Chinese New Year: in 2026 Districts 1–5 closed from the afternoon of 13 February and reopened on 28 February (the 12th day of the lunar year), with the District 5 import mall back on 19 February. In 2025 the closure ran 25 January to 9 February. Next year's dates are added from the market's notice.
Which district should a tourist go to?
Visitors' consensus: District 1 East, 4th floor, for single-piece charms and accessories; District 5 for the imported-goods pavilions with marked prices; District 6 for the same range as District 1 with room to breathe. Districts 2–4 are mostly wholesale-only.
Can tourists visit Yiwu market?
Yes, there is no ticket or registration; walk in at any district gate. Many shops will sell small quantities if asked.
Where can I pray inside the market?
We have not confirmed a prayer room by district and floor inside the International Trade City. Ask market staff about an accessible location; do not rely on the unconfirmed rooms in this guide.