Capturing Shandong’s market culture as it evolves with the times
Whenever I return to my hometown Laizhou, a small town in Shandong province, I would always make a trip to the local market. Known among locals as the daji (大集, big market), it’s not only a trading center but also a social hub. Every five days all year round, sellers gather at the busiest crossroads in town to set up their stalls. Local visitors are often as preoccupied with searching out familiar faces in the crowds as with perusing goods to buy. They’ll exchange greetings and catch up on the latest gossip around town. When I was a child in the 1990s, my father would often run into his mute friend on market days. I watched as they exchanged signs and murmurings with glee in the busy crowd. But since both have passed away, and I’ve moved to live in a different city, I became a mere visitor to this bustling marketplace.
Marketplace of Memories is a story from our issue, “Online Odyssey.” To read the entire issue, become a subscriber and receive the full magazine.
Zhang Huili (张惠丽) is a contributing writer at The World of Chinese.
Liu Jue is the co-managing editor of The World of Chinese Magazine. She has a Master of Arts in Communication from Middle Tennessee State University, and a Bachelor of Arts from Minzu University. She has been working for TWOC since 2012. She is interested in covering history, traditional culture, and Chinese language.
