Nestled beside the Wulidian roundabout, a five-story old building hugs the mountainside. The wind from Light Rail Line 9 sweeps through its halls, carrying the warmth of aged wood, the yellowed scent of old paper, and the faint echoes of enamel and metal clinking together—this is Dongjiaxi Flea Market, Chongqing's largest secondhand goods distribution hub and one of China's first pilot sites for used item circulation.
Over more than 30 years, from the bustling streets of Zhongxing Road in Yuzhong District to the regulated building in Liangjiang New Area’s Dongjiaxi, vendors have moved and adapted, yet stayed together. Millions of pre-owned items continue to change hands here.
While lacking the polished glamour of trendy shopping districts, the market holds the genuine spirit of Chongqing’s daily life: Sister Hou’s furniture stall reflects ordinary livelihoods; Auntie Chen’s variety shop displays fragments of old Chongqing’s history; and Uncle Liu’s CD stand carries the soundtrack of a generation’s youth. Collective memories, personal struggles, and the subtle glow of the circular economy all flow quietly through these objects.
**Morning in the Market: Livelihoods Amidst the Stalls** At 6 a.m. on the 18th, though the sky had brightened, a chill lingered in Wulidian’s alleyways. The rolling shutters of Dongjiaxi Flea Market began to rise, breaking the morning calm. On weekend open-air market days, vendors pushed carts and carried boxes, swiftly setting up stalls in the aisles. Wiping items and arranging goods, their busy hands held a quiet passion for their trade—a simple, moving morning scene unique to Dongjiaxi.
“Young man, take a look at this solid wood dining set! 240 yuan, delivery and installation included. It’s 40 yuan cheaper than livestream sales, and you can see and touch it right here—no worries!” 38-year-old Sister Hou greeted customers warmly in Chongqing dialect tinged with a Guang’an accent. She and her husband have been in the secondhand furniture business for nearly a decade, moving from an open-air spot in Chuqimen to a fixed stall on the fourth floor of Dongjiaxi—a journey spanning ten years of hard work.
Pointing to a beechwood dining table with chipped edges, Sister Hou’s tone held resilience tinged with resignation: “Back in Chuqimen, we could sell seven or eight sets on a good day. Now, online competition is fierce. Livestreamers sell similar items for 280 yuan, but even at 240 yuan—with disinfection, repairs, delivery, and installation included—few people show interest.”
Even with slower business, Sister Hou sticks to honesty and integrity: “We clean and check every item we take in. If there’s a flaw, we never hide it.” She gestured to a child’s desk in the corner: “We bought it from a family in Beibei for 120 yuan and sell it for 180—just a few dozen yuan profit, but it’s honest work.” As she spoke, a young mother passed by with her child, glanced, and walked off, saying, “It’s cheaper online, and they deliver.” Sister Hou sighed softly as she watched them leave: “Young people prefer shopping online—it’s cheap and convenient. They don’t realize that here, you see what you get, and there’s someone to turn to after the sale.”
Through a decade of changes—rising rents, slower business—she has never thought of leaving: “This trade is our livelihood. These old pieces hold family stories. If we do right by our customers, they’ll remember us. Things will get better.”
**Auntie Chen’s Treasure Trove: Keeping Stories Alive** On the third floor, “Sister Chen’s Treasure Shop” has been a market fixture for nearly 30 years. Auntie Chen, in her 60s, sat behind a glass counter wearing reading glasses, slowly organizing old books. She carefully brought out a stack of yellowed comic books—titles like *Di Qing’s Night Raid on Kunlun Pass* and *The Legend of Wang Erlie*. The oldest, *Cheng Yaojin Seeks a Bride*, printed in 1982, had brittle, yellowed pages but was well preserved.
“These all came from old neighborhoods and used book stalls. I want them to go to someone who appreciates them, so the stories live on,” she said. Picking up a 1977 ceramic cup, she gazed at it fondly: “This was standard issue in government offices back then. Now it’s a rarity. People used to buy secondhand for practicality; today’s youth come for nostalgia. As long as these items find purpose, it’s worth it.”
“Last week, an art student came to photograph old objects for a documentary on historic Chongqing,” she added. From a young woman to a silver-haired elder, Auntie Chen has kept her shop not just as a business, but as a place for storytelling and continuity—where transactions are warm exchanges and old objects find new life.
**Objects with Soul: CDs and Books Carrying Memories** At Dongjiaxi, secondhand items are never mere “junk”—they are living fossils of Chongqing’s urban evolution, carrying the collective memories of three generations. From its beginnings in the 1990s at Zhongxing Road Flea Market, to its 2011 relocation to Huaxinjie, and its 2022 move to Wulidian, each shift has mirrored the city’s renewal while nurturing the circular economy—giving闲置 new purpose and letting memories resonate.
At a third-floor corner stall, 55-year-old Uncle Liu carefully wiped a stack of yellowed CD cases. Having taken over the stall just months ago, he neatly arranged hundreds of albums from the 1980s and ’90s, each cleaned until spotless. “These are all genuine—see the hologram anti-counterfeit sticker,” he said proudly, holding up Jacky Cheung’s *Kiss Goodbye* album. “Back then, a CD cost dozens of yuan, several days’ wages for many. Now, people aren’t just buying music—they’re buying youth and nostalgia.”
A lifelong music lover, Uncle Liu now tends his stall for pleasure more than profit. “Few young people use CD players anymore, but I enjoy chatting with customers about the singers and songs of the past,” he shared. “Last week, a man teared up seeing an old Alan Tam album—it was the one he bought for his girlfriend when they were dating. He still remembers lining up to buy it.” This purity gives used items warmth and makes recycling a heartfelt act.
**A Living Time Capsule: Five Floors of Urban Texture** Entering Dongjiaxi Flea Market is like stepping into a vibrant museum of time. Each of its five floors tells a different story, every object etched with Chongqing’s urban fabric.
The first floor’s used appliance section was once the go-to for families furnishing new homes, offering budget-friendly options that helped households save. On the second floor, piles of stoves and hotpot tables reflect Chongqing’s vibrant food scene and small business dreams. The third-floor variety area, with comic books, cassettes, and CDs, unlocks childhood memories for those who grew up in the ’80s and ’90s. The fourth-floor furniture zone, filled with old wardrobes and rattan chairs, holds memories of family gatherings. The fifth-floor storage area serves as a supply station for small businesses, giving闲置 resources a temporary home before re-entering the market.
“These objects have witnessed Chongqing’s growth and accompanied ordinary people’s lives,” said the market’s manager. “An old fridge might have served a family for over a decade; a worn desk might have seen a child through to adulthood. Our role is to help these items find new eyes and new purpose.”
On weekends, the market buzzes with warmth and activity. Elderly visitors search for heirlooms like the “Magpie on Plum Blossom” wall clock from their wedding day, reclaiming lost youth. Young people crouch at stalls hunting for retro cameras and vintage records to capture nostalgic photos. Inn and hotpot restaurant owners seek period pieces to decorate their spaces with old-Chongqing charm. Tourists skip网红 spots to touch authentic local history here. “I used to think this was a ‘junk market,’ but now I see every item has its own story and humanity,” said Xiao Li, a visitor from Chengdu, clutching a 1990 Chongqing map he had just bought.
**Circular Economy in Action: From Street Stalls to Regulated Market** In April 2025, Dongjiaxi Flea Market’s operator was selected as one of China’s first pilot enterprises for secondhand goods circulation. This recognition rewards three decades of vendor dedication and marks a new chapter in standardized development—a vivid example of the circular economy taking root in Chongqing’s neighborhoods.
The market’s transformation—from a cramped, unregulated street bazaar to a clean, modern facility—reflects a joint effort between vendors and management. To make secondhand trading more transparent, the market introduced a shared storage center and QR code “IDs” for each item, enabling traceability and addressing concerns about quality and origins. “Customers used to worry about after-sales service; now with QR codes, they shop with confidence, and we sell with peace of mind,” Sister Hou said with renewed assurance. “As the market improves, old customers return. If we work hard and honestly, things will look up.”
According to statistics, the “Dongjiaxi Weekend Market” saw single-day foot traffic exceed 20,000 visitors in 2025, becoming a popular leisure destination. This success stems not only from vendor perseverance but also from the humble power of the circular economy. Here, “old” means the patina of time; “secondhand” means resource renewal; and “flea market” means a stage where local culture and human warmth thrive.
**Reflection: Flickers of Light in Forgotten Objects** As light rails whisk by and skyscrapers multiply, Chongqing rushes forward—yet Dongjiaxi Flea Market preserves a slower, gentler time. There’s no big-city haste or网红 hustle here, only the soft circulation of old goods and the earnest rhythm of everyday life. Across five floors, objects change hands, stories continue, and Chongqing’s most vivid neighborhood tapestry unfolds—filled with warmth and humanity.
Here, livelihoods persist as “Sister Hous” persevere against online competition; legacies endure as “Aunties Chen” pass stories to the young; passion thrives as “Uncle Lius” guard memories at their CD stalls; and hope glimmers as market upgrades and new visitors breathe fresh life into an old institution.
After more than 30 years, Dongjiaxi Flea Market is no mere marketplace—it’s a “time capsule” for Chongqing residents, bearing three generations’ memories; a “haven of sentiment” where attachments to the past find a home; and a gentle meeting point of circular economy and local spirit—a “small stage” for ordinary lives, dreams, and struggles. In its simplicity, it chronicles the warm, human side of Chongqing’s ongoing story.
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