Are you tired of department stores that rip you off? Here's the low-down on where to go in Wuhan for great deals on your favourite things. When people think of cheap products, they tend to drift a bit north to Beijing, a bit east to Shanghai, and a bit south to Shenzhen. Fear not, Wuhan is also a hub for great products.

Costly options
If you live in Wuchang, you are probably used to the Chicony, Yaomao, and Luxiang department stores. These places have high quality products at insanely inflated prices usually due to import taxes. Although they hold together well, you can find similar products for a fraction of the price.

Economic alternatives in Wuchang
The most famous area to visit in Wuchang for a bargain is Simenkou 司门口. This is a large area with streets that each specialize in something different. You can have suits and dresses custom-tailored for anything between 300 and 900 RMB, and it takes around 5 days to complete. There are pants, shorts, shirts, dresses, and anything else the department stores offer. There are even small department stores.

Further to the east and next to the main gate of Huashi 华中师范大学 is Guangbutun 广埠屯, a multi-storey modern building that offers good deals on all electronics. This huge market is loaded with floors, each with its own specialty. Here you can find second-hand goods, camera equipment, laptops, desktops, TVs, and other accessories. It is open every day from 9:00 to 17:30.

Hankou open markets
If you do not live in Wuchang, there are two other huge electronics markets located in Hankou. One of them is found at the intersection of Minzhu Yijie 民主一街and Qianjin Silu 前进四路 and is open everyday from 8:00 to 18:00. The other electronics market, Saibolouma Guangchang 赛博娄码广场, recently opened and is located on the corner of Zhongshan Dadao 中山大道 and Youyi Lu 友谊路. It is open everyday from 8:00 to 20:00.

Hankou, the business centre of Wuhan, has plenty of shopping gems. Hanzheng Jie 汉正街 is one of these gems, and anything that suits your fancy can be procured. Upon arrival, anyone can see this is apparent because it's bustling with people at all hours of the day. Some on bikes, some on cars, and others on foot, everyone is searching for the best deals. From candy to toilet paper, socks to USB drives, you can find anything you want and sellers are all happy to negotiate prices.

Although they don't mind the casual customer, be aware they prefer to deal with bulk buyers. There are several sections to the area, but the lesser-known entrance is on Wusheng Lu 武胜路 by the Carrefour. From here, you can find the toiletries and sweets. Walking further in, you will see small clothing items and mahjong sets. Further still are jewellery, cards, and other items. At the end of the street is Liji Lu, but the person willing to explore even further will exit around Duofu Lu多福路, and a hawker’s paradise. It is here you will find the best Wuhan has on offer.

As sellers from the day markets return home for the night, other vendors are setting up their stalls at Jianghan Lu Night Market 江汉路晚上市场. Take Zhongshan Dadao 中山大道 north to Baocheng Lu 保成路 (the first street on your left after the walking street 江汉路步行街) and you will see stalls set up on a tiny street. This market goes all the way west to the light rail and you can turn left or right at subsequent cross streets for more deals.

Train tickets
Lastly, when looking for train tickets, you can avoid long lines and high prices by going into an agency. Common sense dictates that agencies charge higher prices than the train company itself, yet from experience it can be said the opposite is true. Agencies can be found all over Wuhan and the best ones to approach don’t have large company names, but rather the words huoche 火车 and jipiao 机票on the windows out front.

Unlike other cities in China, markets like these in Wuhan aren’t named. The best way to find the places mentioned above is to ask the locals using the names provided. Happy hunting!

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