Why visit Yiwu
Townapedia lists 10 museums and landmarks, 42 parks and trails, 98 places to eat, 17 places to stay and 18 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Guyue Bridge.
Weather in Yiwu
Forecast from MET Norway (CC BY 4.0). Full forecast
About Yiwu
Yiwu is a county-level city under the jurisdiction of Jinhua, in central Zhejiang province, China. It is best known for hosting the Yiwu International Trade City, the world's largest wholesale market for small commodities.
From the Wikipedia article Yiwu (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Travel tips from other travellers: Yiwu on Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Things to do18
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6 more on the map.
Museums and landmarks10
Parks, trails and playgrounds42
30 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes98
86 more on the map.
History
Yiwu was originally established as Wushang City (乌商) in 222 BC during the Qin dynasty. It was renamed Yiwu County in AD 624 under the Tang dynasty. Due to its poor soil and mountainous terrain, Yiwu residents historically relied on trade rather than agriculture.
A long-standing local tradition was the "sugar-for-chicken feathers" barter system (鸡毛换糖), where peddlers exchanged sugar and small goods for chicken feathers used in fertilizer or dusters. Early forms of itinerant and local trading date back to the 16th century, with proto-market activities appearing by the 1700s.
After 1949, private trade was suppressed under the planned economy. Despite restrictions, Yiwu traders continued informally until market reforms began under Deng Xiaoping in 1978. In 1982, the Yiwu government formalized its local market by constructing permanent stalls over a drainage ditch near Huqingmen Street. This became the foundation of what would later be known as the Yiwu International Trade City (义乌国际商贸城), also referred to as the Futian Market.
In 1988, Yiwu was upgraded to a county-level city. Local officials, led by Party Secretary Xie Gaohua, issued trading permits and implemented simplified tax policies, defying national prohibitions at the time.
From the History section of Yiwu on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay17
Churches and places of worship5
Shopping26
Gas and EV charging5
Schools, colleges and libraries88
Healthcare16
Map of Yiwu
250 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Getting there and nearby towns
Yiwu Airport (YIW) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 5 km away.
- Dongyang 15 km east, about 15 min by car
- Puyang 24 km northwest, about 24 min by car
- Ānwén 45 km southeast, about 45 min by car
- Jinhua 48 km southwest, about 48 min by car
- Guli 48 km south, about 48 min by car
- Zhuji 48 km north, about 48 min by car
- Lanxi 60 km west, about 1 h by car
- Xianju 82 km southeast, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Fuyang 83 km north, about 1 h 30 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB.
Reviews, tips and questions
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Sources and licences
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, coordinates, regions and time zone
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Yiwu 3, Zakaria55, Public domain
- Guyue Bridge (Yiwu), Song Dynasty, China, Alex Needham, Public domain
Page built November 3, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.