Rural markets charm new generation
Youngsters attracted by authenticity, tradition, social media photo ops
By Zhao Ruixue in Jinan,Liu Mingtai in Changchun,Hu Dongmei in Yinchuan and He Chun in Changsha | China Daily | Updated: 2026-02-02 07:20
The temperature in Jinan, the capital city of Shandong province, plummeted to — 10 C on Jan 20 — the beginning of the Major Cold solar term.
Residual snow clung to roadsides, and the bitter cold nipped at people's cheeks, turning every breath into a wisp of white mist. It was the coldest day in the city this winter.
Yet by 7 am, the Liubu rural market was sizzling with life. Large iron woks hissed as vendors stir-fried millet flour, a local specialty, and several buyers lined up for niangao glutinous rice cakes.
In the crowd, young people in trendy down jackets and armed with cameras cluttered the century-old market.
"I searched which rural market is open today on Douyin and saw Liubu, so I drove over," said Sun, 25, who traveled for over an hour from Jinan's Shizhong district. "It's freezing after the snow, but I wanted to feel this sense of daily vitality,"Sun said.
