Beijing to Begin Moving or Closing Russian Markets by End of 2015

Chaoyang District plans to close or move the various markets around Yabao Lu, commonly referred to as the "Russian Market," by the end of 2015, state media reported Friday.

Ten or so wholesale markets, most housed in buildings in the Yabao Lu area, are slated for closure or relocation. Although numerous markets, for both food and wholesale goods have been gradually moved outside the city center over the past few years – including the Beijing Zoo wholesale market – those markets were at least partially outdoors. The Yabao Lu shopping areas are almost entirely indoors.

The process will take three years, the report said. Landlords and building management in the area have been informed of the change, and that they should begin moving and renovating their properties. The move is also being carried out in coordination with markets in Tianjin and Hebei province, including Baoding and Langfang.

Officials said that the area would remain a center for international trade, and that the move is designed to improve logistics for companies there. They also said it was a further measure to stop the sale and demand for counterfeit goods.

Unlike the former incarnations of the Xiushui Silk Market and the newly re-opened Yashow Market, which primarily serve individual consumers, the Yabao Lu markets have appealed to wholesale buyers, who purchase and ship large quantities of goods to places including Russia, Central Asia, and Africa.

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