Situated in the middle of east China's Zhejiang Province, the bustling city of Yiwu is home to a population of about 360,000 people. Local industry is based around textiles, ornaments, toys and cultural products. Best known as the ''Small Commodities Capital of the World'', Yiwu is a paradise for shoppers. Whether you're after a bargain price hairdryer for personal use or a container load for export you'll find almost every product imaginable in the city's massive markets.

Yiwu is set in pleasant mountain landscape, and parks like Luo Binwang Park and Chouzhou Park are a way of escaping the mayhem of the markets. The city has a monsoon climate with hot rainy summers and mild winters. Local cuisine is based on typical Zhejiang cooking, but restaurants serving food from the north, south, east and west of China can be found in this city of immigrants. After hours, expats frequent Tiedong Lu in the Yiwu Economic Development Zone. The Yindu Badiya Bar and Top Club (both on Binwang Lu) are worth a visit.