Kunming fair reflects boom in foreign goods consumption

KUNMING, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- While Chinese people maintain a tradition of buying new items to welcome the Chinese New Year, commodities from foreign countries are finding their popularity increasing among holiday shoppers.

A 16-day-long shopping fair featuring diverse range of goods from Asia, Africa and Europe was held before the ongoing Spring Festival holiday in the city of Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province.

Wang Yajuan, who was looking for new furniture for her home, was delighted because she had found something she liked at the fair: a set of exquisite handmade rosewood furniture from Pakistan.

"I like their bright color. I haven't seen this type of furniture before," she said after purchasing four chairs and a coffee table.

For the Pakistani seller, who identified himself as Abrar, it was his first time selling handmade products in Kunming. "I found that many Chinese people are really interested in our Pakistani handicrafts. I was pleasantly surprised," he said.

Abrar hopes to find business opportunities in other Chinese cities including Guangzhou and Hong Kong.

Also doing swift business at the fair was a businessman from Bangladesh, Rashid, whose handmade purses and belts proved very popular among fair visitors.

"I know Chinese people always enjoy buying new clothes before the Spring Festival, so I came here, and I'm very satisfied with the results," he said.

In addition to handicrafts, foreign food has been a hit among Chinese consumers. Wu Yucui is a sales agent for Vietnamese snacks, mainly selling durian cakes and dried mangoes. During the exhibition, she sold more than 200 kilograms of durian cakes per day.

"People are very receptive to the Vietnamese durian cakes. After tasking them, they often say they'd like to buy some," Wu said.

Li Songyan, head of the fair's organizing team, said the event attracted exhibitors from Asia, Europe, America, Australia and other places. With more than 20,000 kinds of commodities on offer, visitors enjoy a rich and diverse consumption experience, said Li.

As of Feb. 5, the total number of the visitors had reached about 800,000, and the on-site turnover was 190 million yuan (about 26.7 million U.S. dollars).

"I feel like we have more shopping options this year, with goods from countries thousands of miles away right in front of us," said Li Yanxin, a visitor to the fair.

In recent years, the increasing scale of commodity imports has offered greater choices of Chinese consumers, while boosting the trade in foreign commodities in the Chinese market.

The China-South Asia Expo has set up a permanent pavilion in Kunming, which sells imported commodities including rice from Laos, candy and chocolate from Belarus, and durian cakes from Vietnam. The sales continue to grow, especially before this Spring Festival. From Jan. 23 to Feb. 5 alone, the retail and wholesale sales of the pavilion exceeded 1 million yuan, reflecting the boom in consumption of foreign goods in the Chinese market.