2011 SU Update: Canadian YR experiences a Cultural Difference

Polish athletes check out the Universiade merchandizing store in the shopping mall

SHENZHEN – Canadian FISU Young Reporter Erin Meagher’s curiosity was aroused when she stumbled upon some athletes on a shopping spree in Shenzhen’s commercial district. She went along to find out if shopping in China equals shopping in her country. Read about her findings below.

Never in my life had I experienced a shopping adventure quite like the one today.

Being a native of Canada, I am used to the structure of the shopping malls in North America, so I was really excited to familiarize myself with the Chinese markets.

I had heard stories about what it was really like to walk through the markets here in Shenzhen, so I thought I had prepared myself for what I was about to experience.

However, the minute I walked into Luo Hu Commercial City, I was blown away.

Knowing that I was not a local, the store workers immediately flocked towards me, trying to sell their goods. “Hello, buy a t-shirt,” one of them said. “Purses, good price,” said another.

Luckily, a volunteer who was fluent in both Chinese and English accompanied me on my adventure and acted as a translator.

I quickly learned that being able to bargain is a fundamental quality when shopping at the markets in China.

The workers will begin by asking a lot of money for a product and if the customer does not like the price, they will continue to lower it until they can reach an agreement. Some workers will even follow a customer down the hallway, trying to persuade them to buy an item.

The five-storey market was filled with many passageways that led to different shops. I was almost sure at one point that we would not be able to find our way back to the entrance.

All of the shops were crowded with people, most of whom were locals.

I did happen to come across some Universiade athletes from Italy, Mexico and Poland. They, too, were trying to take in the whole Chinese shopping experience.

One of the things that amazed me was how many stores were able to custom-make products in a very short period of time.

Glasses could be made in just two hours, and suits in merely one day. This goes to show how dedicated and diligent the employees are.

Inside one shop, a young woman was hard at work sewing a pair of dress pants and outside another, a man was in the midst of repairing shoes.

I soon realized that markets like this are an essential part of Chinese culture, as they provide work to many locals and are fascinating to tourists. It was truly a wonderful experience to see the work the Chinese perform, day in and day out.