With the Spring Festival just around the corner, the trade in farm produce, festival decorations, gift baskets and other festival products has gradually peaked.

Customers have been rushing to wholesale markets and supermarkets to finish off their shopping for the traditional Chinese New Year.

A street for specialties, one for famous food and seasonings, and another for delicacies from land and sea have been set up in Buji Agricultural Produce Wholesale Market, the biggest market in Longgang District.

More than 250 specialty sellers are selling hams from Jinhua in Zhejiang Province, preserved mushrooms from Fujian Province, dates from Henan Province, pepper from Sichuan Province and bacon from Hunan Province, just to name a few.

More than 3,000 tons of vegetables are sold in the market every day, 40 percent of which are processed and sent to Hong Kong and Macao while the rest are to meet the needs of Shenzhen and nearby areas.

"We usually sell about 1,800 tons of fruit each day. But the volume exceeds 2,500 tons now," said Song Bin, director of the market's administrative office.

Prices of most products were expected to rise 5 to 10 percent, Song said.

In Futian Agricultural Produce Wholesale Market, a street for candies has been specially opened offering all sorts of candies.

Supermarkets won't be outshone as they display large quantities of preserved goods, wines, cookies and candies and cover most of the counters with red plastic cloth, with New Year blessings.

Gift baskets are eye-catching in many supermarkets with prices ranging from 188 yuan (US$22.65) to tens of thousands of yuan.

They usually contain wines, cookies, fruit and healthcare food.

In Sam's Club, a 12,888-yuan basket of gifts entitled "classic noble basket of gifts" is on display.

The basket contains 11 items including the wine of Louis XIII de Remy Martin, a champagne, and Hawaiian fruit. But so far no one has bought the pricy basket.

Kim Sundstrom of Australia, who had a big shopping day at Wal-Mart on Wednesday morning, said she had also bought a lot of banners, paper lanterns and other red decorations for the Chinese New Year.

"It's a bit like Christmas Day in my country when people also buy a lot for the family reunion. But we have only a one-day celebration while here it lasts one week," said Sundstrom.
 
(Shenzhen Daily February 3, 2005)