The return of open-air shopping

露天购物的回归

Round Table China

2026-03-17

32 分钟
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单集简介 ...

Young people in China are walking away from their screens and heading to the market. We explore the revival of Ganji and why an old-fashioned way of shopping, full of noise, street food, and human connection, is resonating with a new generation. On the show: Steve, Fei Fei & Yushan
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单集文稿 ...

  • Discussion keeps the world turning.

  • This is Roundtable.

  • China's youth are skipping the apps and heading to the open-air market.

  • We'll find out what's drawing them to the noise, the food, and the spontaneity.

  • This is the revival of Ganji, and why the future of travel might just be in the past.

  • We're live from our studios in Beijing.

  • This is Roundtable.

  • I'm Steve.

  • Thanks very much for being with us today.

  • And for the show, I'm joined by Feifei and Yushan.

  • First up...

  • Once seen as an old-fashioned way to buy vegetables and other things, China's traditional Ganji,

  • visiting open-air markets or rural fairs, is making an unexpected comeback among young people.

  • Across the country,

  • historic markets and rural fairs are turning into lively hotspots filled with street food and handmade crafts and coffee stands and,

  • of course, cultural experiences.

  • In an age of online shopping and algorithm-driven life,

  • why are young people suddenly drawn to the human connection of the market.

  • And what does this revival say about how a new generation wants to travel and shop and maybe just experience everyday life?

  • Yishan and Fei-Fei, a good day to you both.