HANGZHOU, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) -- As the Chinese Year of the Snake approaches, Lu Qingrong, a toy store owner at an international trade market in east China's Zhejiang Province, is busy delivering festive goods for his customers.
His store in the Yiwu International Trade Market in Yiwu, a city in Zhejiang known as "the world's supermarket," has for months been packed with red, snake-themed soft toys that he designed, and purchasers have been arriving from across the country.
The Year of the Snake will begin on Jan. 29, according to the Chinese lunar calendar. The Chinese zodiac consists of 12 animals, which record the years and reflect people's attributes.
Lu, whose family has been in the soft toy business for over 20 years, said that he has prepared more than 30 toy varieties featuring the zodiac sign of the snake. Some of the varieties were designed by himself and others were created in collaboration with his partner factories.
His top sellers are the Fortune Snake and the Fabric Snake. The former features the Chinese character "fu," which means good fortune.
"Preparations for the majority of the snake-themed toys began in June and July last year, with production taking place in August and September, and delivery in November and December, which are our busiest months," Lu said.
His store has sold about 20,000 toys every day over the past two or three months, he noted, and some have been exported to countries such as Malaysia and Singapore.
Lu is not the only vendor in Yiwu benefiting from the popularity of snake-themed festive goods.
Yang Hong manages another store in the same market, and she has also stocked her shelves with snake-themed products, including New Year paintings, window decorations and lanterns.
Yang said that her shop has been selling these products since October and, during peak periods, it has received more than 300 customers each day. Her customers are now busy restocking her products, and they can place their orders directly through the messaging app WeChat.
Business managers in Yiwu say that the variety and diverse designs of festive goods from Yiwu cater to people from different cultural backgrounds, attracting consumers from domestic and international markets.
The popularity of the goods produced in Yiwu is evident in the city's trade data. In the first 11 months of 2024, Yiwu's import and export volume surged 17.6 percent year on year to come in at 613.99 billion yuan (about 85.42 billion U.S. dollars), according to customs data.
According to a circular released in late 2024, the State Council has approved the overall plan for deepening comprehensive international trade reforms in Yiwu.
Known as the city where "buy global, sell global" thrives, Yiwu is focusing on cross-border e-commerce and digital trade. Its Global Digital Trade Center, which leverages artificial intelligence and digital tools to enhance core trade elements, such as supply chains, logistics and market, is set to open the market section for trial operations in October 2025.
In late 2024, the UNESCO has inscribed "Spring Festival, social practices of the Chinese people in celebration of the traditional new year" on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
"As products from Yiwu are dispatched to destinations near and far, the Chinese Spring Festival is unfolding, full of traditional charm and modern vitality to present a vibrant Spring Festival feast for the world," said Feng Chaoyun, president of the Yiwu Festival Supplies Industry Chamber of Commerce under the Yiwu China Commodities City Chamber of Commerce. ■