Introduction

Located a stone throw away from Shamiem Island on Qingping Lu, this market covers an area of 120,000 square feet and has at least 1,200 booths and more in an open market setting. It is one of 17 other approved and legitimate Chinese herbal medicine markets given authority by the state in 1996 to run as the first-ever permitted market to sell Chinese herbal medicines, Chinese herbs, Western medicines, healthcare products and medical devices so it is a large scale market with a wide range of products.

The market is the largest trade port and distribution location carrying products from 18 provinces and 30 cities both western and traditional medicine in southern China for products sold to regions like Taiwan, Macao, Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and also other countries. Guanzhou was originally a trading city and this is evident in this location with a host of warehouses and trading stores all aimed at exporting Chinese products to the new world.

Qingping as a name means quiet and peaceful isn’t anything close to that with a beehive of activity that can get chaotic with thousands of people busy moving about the area.

Major attractions and activities to do on a visit

This market isn’t really meant to be a tourist attraction but due to its authenticity and ancient environment and activities it has over the years attracted tourists both from home and abroad and even government officials from at least 40 countries including the United States, Germany, Japan, Britain, France and many other countries. The market gets up to 60,000 visitors per day

A visit to this market will definitely bring a mix of reactions to different people, the faint-hearted and animal lovers will have a long day but adventure buffs will have a walk in the park experience. Get to see Chinese herbal medicines, live scorpions, live turtles, eels, dried snakeskin, dried starfish, fins of fish, parrots, birds, mushrooms with humongous sizes of up to a metre, meat, eggs, vegetables, seafood, dried fruits, flowers, frogs, rabbits, dogs, cats and other pets.

Foreign visitors are advised to get a tour guide to be able to learn more about the traditional medicine here and get a better understanding of the typical principles that lie behind the use of the different products to make medicine and their medicinal values.

The market is also very picturesque and you can shop for jade, antiques, trinkets, figurines, replicas of various items like coins, swords, opium pipes, swords, walking sticks, pottery and figurines. Besides, the market also supplies different types of tea.