Page 22 - YunnanTourismCultureTimes (104)

21 China·South Asia

How fast Yiwu City flies

“风速”义乌 By Raj Kumar Khadka □ 拉吉·库玛尔／文

Nepalese businessman Raj Kumar Khadka has been operating
his business in Yiwu City, China’s Zhejiang Province for 12 years,
yet his connection with China spans 22 years. Over the years, Raj
has witnessed the rapid development of Yiwu, the “World’s Su-
permarket” renowned for its small commodity market, and has felt
China’s embrace of friends from all over the world with an open
and inclusive attitude.

尼泊尔商人拉吉·库玛尔在浙江省义乌市经商已有 12 年，而他与中国
的缘分却已有 22 年之久。多年来，拉吉见证了义乌这座以小商品市场闻名
的“世界超市”的飞速发展，也感受到了中国拥抱来自世界各地朋友的开放
和包容。

I have been living in Yiwu City in Chi- was very curious and wanted to understand
na’s Zhejiang Province for about 12 years. everything inside and out. So, day by day, I
But it has been 22 years since I have a close started requesting my brother to go to Chi-
relationship with this dear country of Chi- na and bring the goods. But why didn’t my
na! brother like to go to China and buy goods
About 30 years ago, my brother RC again and again. It is because he doesn’t
Khadka and I, opened a wholesale store of have free time. If my brother reads this arti-
belts, purses and umbrellas in Kathmandu. cle, he will laugh once again!
We used to buy some goods in Kathmandu, In fact, even 28-30 years ago, tickets
while we used to import some goods from cost the same as now. If you ask in Nepali
Thailand and India. At that time, there were rupees, it will cost one hundred thousand
only 2-4 other shops, including our shop, only as a ticket. Hotels for food and accom-
which did the wholesale business of such modation were also expensive as they are
goods. Goods imported from outside could now.
be sold in a few days without being able to That time was different. Big cities like
keep them in the store! Shanghai and Guangzhou were developed
After a few years, the names of China’s at that time. But the city of Yiwu where I
Guangzhou, Shanghai, and a few of Yiwu live now was underdeveloped. After reach-
also started to be heard. As a teenager, I ing the city of Yiwu, even when going to