Dubbed the "World's Supermarket", Yiwu in East China's Zhejiang province has long witnessed the resilience and vitality of China's foreign trade economy.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the establishment of Yiwu's wholesale market for daily commodities.

The Yiwu small commodity market in 1982. [Photo by Jin Fugen/zjol.com.cn]

The Yiwu market began to take shape on Sept 5, 1982, when the Huqingmen Small Commodity Market was approved by the local government.

In order to systematize and normalize the market, the local government spent 4.4 million yuan ($630,482.34) building the Chengzhong Road Small Commodity Market, which opened on Sept 26, 1986.

The clothing area of the third-generation Yiwu small commodity market in Chengzhong Road of Choucheng town, Yiwu, in 1986. [Photo by Jin Fugen/zjol.com.cn]

The Chengzhong Road Small Commodity Market, covering an area of 43,353 square meters, is home to 4,096 fixed booths and 1,387 temporary booths selling more than 3,000 varieties of small commodities.

The market puts all similar products in one area in order to promote fair competition while ensuring the quality of products made in Yiwu.