New year market boosts villagers' incomes

The weekend specialty market in Guding village attracts many villagers. [Photo/Guiyang news network]

As Spring Festival approaches, the weekend specialty market in Guding village, Xiaba town, Wudang district, Guiyang, entered its "New Year Market" mode.

At 5 am, Hou Dehua, a resident of Gui'an New Area, got up to prepare his new year goods, including Spring Festival couplets, "Fu" characters, and door god paintings. By around 6 am, he had arrived at the weekend specialty market in Guding village. Since he was early, he set up his stall right by the market's entrance.

As soon as his stall was ready, Hou made his first sale – one set of Spring Festival couplets and a door god paint. It was Hou's first time at the market, and he found it just as lively and vibrant as it appeared on the online short video platform.

Like Hou, Liu Mingfa, a villager from Shuitian town, was also visiting Guding village's weekend specialty market for the first time. Liu is a fruit and vegetable farmer who also raises over 40 free-range chickens under his fruit trees. Liu typically travels to Guiyang to sell his produce, either by driving or taking Huinong Bus 252.

In 2024, Huinong Bus 252 was launched in an effort to address the long-standing challenges faced by vegetable farmers in Shuitian and Xiaba towns looking to sell their produce in the city. The initiative gained significant attention in Guiyang.

On Nov 30 of the same year, Wudang established the weekend specialty market in Xiaba town to promote urban-rural integration. The market not only brought more rural goods to urban consumers but also encouraged city residents to explore rural life and experience its unique charm.