Soon, more than 200 stallholders who have sold their goods in Shanghai’s oldest market, will have to close up their shops and move somewhere else to offer their wares. The entire area is earmarked to be demolished in order to build a new city renovation project that will include new apartments, gardens and other buildings.
The Tangjiawan Wet Market, which is in the Huangpu District, originally opened in 1903. Since then, it has been very popular and frequented by many of the local people, who travel there to look for low priced items and fresh produce and other foods. This sort of market is a big tradition in Shanghai and there are many of them scattered around the country.
Wet markets, where people travel in order to buy food like fruit, vegetables, meats, spices, or flowers and are located all over Shanghai. Normally, the prices in these markets is much less than can be found at supermarkets, especially since some bartering has been allowed at some wet markets. They are a way of life for many merchants, who make their living selling their products to people who travel to them daily.
However, it has been announced that as of August, the whole area of the market, as well as some of the close by apartment complexes, will be demolished so that new apartments and a public garden can be constructed in their place. This means one less wet market available for people who live and work in that region of the city. Many have said that they have gone to the Tangjiawan Wet Market their entire lives and now will have to find other places to buy their daily supplies.
Many of the current merchants who travel there daily to sell their goods say they have nowhere to go in order to sell their products. The manager of the market added that the market merchants also won’t get any type of compensation due to this demolition project, but will only be entitled to any advance rents already paid out.
Some are losing twice in the whole ordeal, as they live in some of the apartments that are included in the demolition process. Now, they not only will lose their livelihood, but also will need to find a new place to live.
When the last daily cry goes out that the Tangjiawan Wet Market is closing, the words will have a different meaning than in the past, as it will not just mean the famous and oldest wet market in Shanghai is closing for the day, it will mean that it is closing forevermore.
