Page 74 - Varsity Special Issue

72 / Photo Feature / 73

A Hmong (an ethnic minority) woman sells wild fungi in Zhebei street market.
A Hmo ng ( an ethnic min ori ty ) w oman sells wild fungi in Zhebei street market.

An old lady shops with a basket in Zhebei street market.
An o ld lad y shops wi th a basket in Zhebei street market.

n urban cities, new shopping nearly villages to sell their agricultural “Agricultural products in this
malls and fancy supermarkets are products and buy necessities that are street market are really cheap. For
Ireplacing old street markets. But not available in their own villages. example, the corn I bought here only
in Yunnan, people living in many un- Mei, who declines to reveal her costs RMB ¥2 for a kilogram. But in
developed villages still shop for daily identity, bought chilis, corn, and wild Kunming, it costs at least RMB ¥10
needs in old street markets. fungi in a street market named Zhe- for a kilogram. These products are
Street market is a place where peo- bei market which takes an hour drive fresher than those in wet markets in
ple in Yunnan trade agricultural com- from Kunming city. the city,” the 47-year-old woman says.
modities. History of street markets She goes to the street market once She pays cash for corn and chilis,
can be traced back in Shang and Yin or twice a month with her friends and and uses QR code payment for the
dynasties in ancient China. families, and she believes it is a good wild fungi in the street market. Mei and her mother pick chilis from Zhao Yufen’s stall.
fen
’
s stall.
Mei and her mother pick chilis from Zhao Y
u
People go to street markets in way for them to relax. “I prefer using QR code payment.