Chapter 19: Markets in the Provinces, Jinan, Page 2

"Industrial University" (All-Day) Market

This is a neighborhood market that's in a small alleyway along the outside wall of Jinan's Industrial University, hence its name. The market gets underway at 5:00 am and is essentially a morning market. But vendors are permitted to stay all day if they wish. Most vendors I spoke with said that they typically stay until they've sold all their produce. About half the vendors are farmers and the other half buy from the wholesale markets.

Markets such as this one in Jinan also have a "breakfast" section, with vendors catering to customers who want a quick hot breakfast while doing their daily shopping. A typical breakfast item Jinan in is a savory lamb soup served with a deep fried "doughnuts" which comes with a wide variety of fillings, such as sweet bean paste, garlic chives or dried shrimp and chopped cilantro.

Market snakes along the wall.

Unusual Fee Structure
The market fee structure for these informal markets in Jinan is quite different from those in other cities. The vendors only pay a daily fee of RMB 6 (US$ 0.72) which includes:

Public Security Fee

Hygiene Fee

Management Fee

This farmer lives 1.5 hours outside the city
and brings produce in by motor bike.