---

Guilin's Wayao Wholesale Market

Few visitors to Guilin know about the Wayao Wholesale Market. It is located south of Guilin City. It is a place visitors should not miss. It sells anything that a visitor to China might be looking for, but at very cheap prices. Most of the tourist shops in the Guilin, and Yangshuo areas all go to this market to purchase their inventories.


The market formerly looked like a large flea market, with row after row of dirty, dingy shops which visitors would have to enter to see what they sold. Recently however, Wayao has moved. It moved one block away, and the new area is really wonderful. It consists of two 4 story buildings and a smaller area with many small streets surrounded by two stories of shops. The market is now well lit, and most shops have window displays making it unecessary to enter each shop.


Wayao features shops that sell paintings, tea pots and tools, art supplies, silk, embroidery, wood carvings, furniture, bronze and brass wares, knick knacks, jade, the list goes on and on. Of course as with most places, bargaining is a necessity, but the dealers are pretty easy to deal with. Since not many visitors know of this place, prices are still very very low. If you are in this neck of the woods, and want to check it out, try to give yourself the day to do it. The more you explore the more you will see. It is definately worth a stop.


I go to Wayao at least twice a month. I have been going there for over four years, so most of the dealers know me by name, and I no longer have to fight for prices. Many of the dealers visit other parts of China to purchase their wares, and will often call me in advance to see if there was anything special I wanted them to pick up for me.


I have a very close friend who's name is Wang. He owns the teashop in the photo. I usually will go to Wayao early in the morning, and then spend the entire afternoon in his shop sipping different types of tea and chatting. It is a very nice way to spend the day.


Wayao is pretty easy to get to. It can be reached by the 28 bus which can be picked up at the San Li Dian roundabout, or the number 20 which can be picked up at the West gate of Guangxi Normal University, or San Li Dian. Don't miss it.

---

Photos

Wayao's Main Gate
This is the new gate to Wayao. It is a whole lot better than the old entrance.

Wayao Waterfall
Inside the main gate is this large man-made waterfall.

New shopping area
In one section there are two floors of shops.

Wang
If you stop by tell Wang that Shangguan sent you.

Floor of Paintings
In one of the two large buildings, one floor is dedicated to paintings.

What's left of the old Wayao
Nothing left but rubble. I heard apartment buildings will be built here.

Comments

[Susan]

Wow! Wayao has really changed since I was in Guilin! I remember when it was an old one story alley that stretched on for miles!