Ed Butler

Today we're investigating the Chinese city that claims to be the home of Christmas.

From the UK, this is Marketplace Morning Report from the BBC World Service.

I'm Ed Butler, and Merry Christmas to you all.

I hope you're having a good Christmas morning.

Have you ever wondered where your festive lights, the baubles and the toys all come from?

Well, there's a good chance a fair few of them originate in the Chinese city of Yiwu.

Join me as we find out more about this place and just how it's being affected by the latest US tariffs.

The sound of traders in the town of Yiwu in central eastern China attempting to master Spanish.

Language skills like these are important because Yiwu is a major international trading hub, especially at this time of year, selling commodities to a global market.

Once a small rural town, Yiwu began gaining a reputation back in the 1980s for its open-air market selling small commodities.

Now it's a sprawling international trade centre, spanning hectares and several floors.

That's Han Lin, China director for the consultancy The Asia Group.

There are 50,000 shops in all.

If you were to spend just three minutes in every one of them, it would take you more than a year to get round the maze of arcades here.

Ashley Dudarenok, the founder of a Chinese research and analytics consultancy that works with companies in the city, says that Yiwu's distinctive quality is the spirit of enterprise that drives its thousands of traders.

It's one of multiple towns and cities in China built...

around a very specific category of export.

Christmas products.

How did that evolve?

Just tell me, I mean, talk to me about that.