Yiwu is a city in eastern China that serves as the world's Christmas capital. Its five main districts contain vast wholesale markets, each home to enormous commercial buildings stretching for miles. For much of the year masses of stalls are dedicated to Christmas paraphernalia—trees, ornaments, hats, wreaths and candy canes—though Yiwu's traders also make decorations for Muslim, Chinese and other festivals.
China dominates exports of the world's Christmas decorations by value; in the recent past America bought more than half of what China produced. The markets hum during the summer months, when festive fare is readied for shipment abroad, and lie quieter by December. Yiwu's traders are a worldly sort: they converse with visiting buyers from India, the Middle East and Russia, and Arabic, Spanish and other tongues can be heard among the stalls.
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