bodyType

customContents

entityId

printArticlePageQuery

filter

article

body

urlAlias

articleSectionsContent

articleSeoArticle

articleSourceHeaderArticle

contentSchemaRenderContent

contentSubHeadlineContent

contentHeadlineContent

mainImagePrintArticleArticle

authorBlockPrintArticleArticle

contentSponsorTagContent

articlePianoPaywallContent

scmpYoutubeContent

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

query printArticlePageQuery(
  $entityId: String!
  $customContents: [CustomContentInput]
  $bodyType: BodyFormatTypeEnum
) {
  article(filter: {entityId: $entityId}) {
    entityId
    body(customContents: $customContents, type: $bodyType) {
      json
    }
    urlAlias
    ...articleSectionsContent
    ...articleSeoArticle_3o8td4
    ...articleSourceHeaderArticle
    ...contentSchemaRenderContent
    ...contentSubHeadlineContent
    ...contentHeadlineContent
    ...mainImagePrintArticleArticle
    ...authorBlockPrintArticleArticle
    ...contentSponsorTagContent
    ...articlePianoPaywallContent
    ...scmpYoutubeContent
    ...hooksTrackPageViewArticle
    id
  }
}

fragment articlePianoPaywallContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...hooksPaywallPromiseContent
}

fragment articleSectionsContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  sections {
    value {
      ...helpersCheckIfNewsSectionInFirstIndexSection
      ...entityLink
      name
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment articleSeoArticle_3o8td4 on Article {
  ...hooksArticleSeoArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
  ...helpersGetArticleTypeArticle
  entityId
  publishedDate
  updatedDate
  summary {
    text
  }
  subHeadline {
    text
  }
  body(customContents: $customContents, type: $bodyType) {
    text
  }
  keywords
  sections {
    value {
      name
      id
    }
  }
  topics {
    name
    entityId
    id
  }
  urlAlias
  authors {
    name
    id
  }
  images {
    style(filter: {style: "768x768"}) {
      url
    }
  }
  readingTime
}

fragment articleSourceHeaderArticle on Article {
  urlAlias
  ...entityLink
}

fragment authorBlockPrintArticleArticle on Article {
  ...defaultArticleDateContent
  ...authorNamesArticle
}

fragment authorNameAuthor on Author {
  ...entityLink
  name
  entityUuid
}

fragment authorNamesArticle on Article {
  authorLocations
  authors {
    entityId
    location
    ...authorNameAuthor
    id
  }
}

fragment blockquoteQuoteContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...contentShareWidgetContent
}

fragment checkersCheckContentContainsStarlingImageContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  topics {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment contentHeadlineContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  headline
  socialHeadline
  ...contentHeadlineTagContent
  ...helpersUseContentSponsorContent
}

fragment contentHeadlineTagContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...hooksContentHeadlineTagContent
}

fragment contentNewsletterWidgetContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  topics {
    relatedNewsletters {
      ...helpersMassageToNewsletterItemNewsletter
      id
    }
    id
  }
  sections {
    value {
      relatedNewsletters {
        ...helpersMassageToNewsletterItemNewsletter
        id
      }
      id
    }
  }
  ... on Article {
    relatedNewsletters {
      ...helpersMassageToNewsletterItemNewsletter
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment contentSchemaRenderContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...blockquoteQuoteContent
  ...imageContent
  ...inlineWidgetContent
  ...photoGalleryWidgetContent
  ...scmpYoutubeContent
}

fragment contentShareWidgetContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  entityId
  urlAlias
  shortUrl
  socialHeadline
  headline
}

fragment contentSponsorTagContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...helpersUseContentSponsorContent
}

fragment contentSubHeadlineContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  subHeadline {
    json
  }
  summary {
    json
  }
  ...contentSchemaRenderContent
}

fragment defaultArticleDateContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...hooksArticleDateUtilsContent
}

fragment entityLink on BaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias {
  __isBaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias: __typename
  __typename
  entityId
  entityUuid
  urlAlias
  urlRedirect {
    toUrl
    id
  }
  application {
    entityId
    id
  }
  ... on Section {
    fullSectionPath {
      entityId
      id
    }
    parentSection
  }
  ...helpersAppBarVariantBase
  ...helpersApplicationBase
  ...helpersCheckIsPlusArticle
  ...helpersStyleSectionContent
}

fragment helpersAppBarVariantBase on BaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias {
  __isBaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias: __typename
  ...helpersCheckIsLiveArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPlusPage
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesPage
  ...helpersCheckIsPostMagazineArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsStyleArticle
  ...helpersSectionContent
  ...helpersStyleSectionContent
}

fragment helpersApplicationBase on BaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias {
  __isBaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias: __typename
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesPage
  ...helpersCheckIsPlusPage
}

fragment helpersCheckIfNewsSectionInFirstIndexSection on Section {
  name
}

fragment helpersCheckIsAmpEnabledArticle on Article {
  entityId
  types {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
  sections {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
  disableOffPlatformContent
  sponsorType
  published
  ...helpersCheckIsPlusArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
}

fragment helpersCheckIsLiveArticle on Article {
  flattenTypeIds
  liveArticle {
    status
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsMainTopicContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  topics {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPlusArticle on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ... on Article {
    paywallTypes {
      entityUuid
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPlusPage on Page {
  urlAlias
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPostMagazineArticle on Article {
  sections {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle on Article {
  sections {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPostiesPage on Page {
  urlAlias
}

fragment helpersCheckIsStyleArticle on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  sections {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersGetArticleTypeArticle on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ... on Article {
    types {
      value {
        entityId
        id
      }
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersMassageToNewsletterItemNewsletter on Newsletter {
  entityId
  name
  alternativeName
  description {
    text
  }
  summary {
    text
  }
  homepageDescription {
    text
  }
}

fragment helpersSanitizeArticleTypeEntityIdsArticle on Article {
  types {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersSanitizeAuthorTypesArticle on Article {
  authors {
    types
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersSanitizedAuthorEntityIdsArticle on Article {
  authors {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersSectionContent on Section {
  fullSectionPath {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersStyleSectionContent on Section {
  fullSectionPath {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersUseContentSponsorContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  topics {
    entityId
    sponsor {
      ...sponsorTagSponsor
      name
      type
      id
    }
    id
  }
  ... on Article {
    sponsorType
  }
  ...helpersCheckIsMainTopicContent
}

fragment hooksArticleDateUtilsContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  createdDate
  publishedDate
  updatedDate
}

fragment hooksArticleSeoArticle on Article {
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostMagazineArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsStyleArticle
  ...hooksContentHeadlineTagContent
  ...helpersCheckIsAmpEnabledArticle
  entityId
  headline
  socialHeadline
  types {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
  authors {
    entityId
    id
  }
  images {
    generic_og: style(filter: {style: "og_image_scmp_generic"}) {
      url
    }
    styles(filter: {styles: ["og_image_posties_article", "og_postmag", "og_image_style", "og_image_scmp_analysis", "og_image_scmp_explainer", "og_image_scmp_editorial", "og_image_scmp_fact_check", "og_image_scmp_debate", "og_image_scmp_live", "og_image_scmp_obituary", "og_image_scmp_opinion", "og_image_scmp_review", "og_image_scmp_series", "og_image_scmp_generic"]}) {
      url
      style
    }
    type
  }
  urlAlias
}

fragment hooksContentHeadlineTagContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  __typename
  ... on Article {
    types {
      value {
        name
        entityId
        description {
          text
        }
        id
      }
    }
    ...helpersCheckIsStyleArticle
  }
  flag
  sections {
    value {
      name
      id
    }
  }
  ...hooksContentHelperContent
}

fragment hooksContentHelperContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...helpersSanitizeArticleTypeEntityIdsArticle
  ...helpersSanitizeAuthorTypesArticle
  ...helpersSanitizedAuthorEntityIdsArticle
  flag
}

fragment hooksPaywallPromiseContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  entityId
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
}

fragment hooksTrackPageViewArticle on Article {
  entityId
  publishedDate
  headline
  sections {
    value {
      name
      id
    }
  }
  urlAlias
  authors {
    name
    id
  }
  entityUuid
}

fragment imageContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  headline
  ...checkersCheckContentContainsStarlingImageContent
}

fragment inlineWidgetContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...contentNewsletterWidgetContent
}

fragment mainImagePrintArticleArticle on Article {
  images {
    title
    url
    isSlideshow
    size_652x446: style(filter: {style: "652x446"}) {
      url
    }
  }
}

fragment photoGalleryDialogContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  __typename
  ...contentShareWidgetContent
}

fragment photoGalleryWidgetContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...photoGalleryDialogContent
}

fragment scmpYoutubeContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  entityId
  urlAlias
  publishedDate
}

fragment sponsorTagSponsor on Sponsor {
  name
  type
  images {
    url
  }
}


sections

types

disableOffPlatformContent

sponsorType

published

headline

socialHeadline

authors

images

publishedDate

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

keywords

topics

readingTime

authorLocations

entityUuid

Celia Chen

Iris Deng

Huaqiangbei is home to the world’s biggest electronics wholesale market. By day, the district is busy with buyers hunting for bargains in gigantic complexes that sell everything from cables to to spy cameras.
But close to midnight, not long after the hardiest stall owners have called it a day, another market emerges in the shadows of the mega electronics malls.
When the Post visited the market one recent weekday night, street vendors were out in force on Aihua Lu, fighting for the attention of passers-by. There were careless heaps of cables, old game consoles, transistor radios, smartphones, feature phones on the road, most of it junk.
Known as a “ghost” market because it only operates at night and wraps up before dawn (the better to avoid the dreaded ﻿chengguan, or street inspectors), this particular flea market convenes every night and has been going on for a number of years. There are three unspoken rules: No questioning the authenticity, no questioning the origin, and no refunds once sold.
It is the ultimate buyers’ beware bazaar. What you see is what you get.
“Why are you wandering outside so late?” one male trader wearing a gold necklace shouted cheerfully at us when we passed by his pile. “Please be careful. Go home now!”

That was when we noticed the buyers and sellers at the market were predominantly men. But we did not feel unsafe as it was crowded with shoppers and the vibe was friendly. Later, when the crowd dwindled around 2am, it felt more desolate.
China’s app-crazy consumers are starting to worry about ‘big brother’
Huaqiangbei started off as a small electronics component market supporting the electronics manufacturing industry before flourishing when personal computers and later mobile phones became popular in China.
An hour’s drive from the market, one can find thousands of factories on the fringe of Shenzhen as well as in neighbouring Dongguan and Huizhou, a reminder of the Pearl River Delta’s reputation as the “factory floor of the world.” The rise of e-commerce in recent years, though, has threatened physical marketplaces such as Huaqiangbei.
The area is also famous for being the birthplace of Tencent, the country’s biggest gaming and social media operator, which started off in an office nearby. Shenzhen’s progress over the years as a tech powerhouse can be seen by its roster of tech giants, which include multinational companies such as Huawei, the telecoms gear maker, and DJI, the world’s biggest consumer drone maker.
With Beijing’s plan to integrate Shenzhen and 10 other neighbouring cities including Hong Kong and Macau into a regional innovation and financial hub, Shenzhen is set for its next phase of transformation since its beginnings as the original site for the country’s reform and opening-up experiment 40 years ago.
The city was also earmarked last month by the central government to undertake wide-ranging reforms to become a global “benchmark” for competitiveness, innovation and influence by the middle of the century.
If Huaqiangbei is a reminder of Shenzhen’s more humble beginnings as a consumer electronics manufacturing and trading post, then the night market on Aihua Road is the far grimier, more distant memory of the analogue past. No one knows how much longer this “ghost market” will be around for.

Wang Shuyao, who looked to be in his mid-40s, was in his corner spot between two trees with a motley collection of devices, some of which even he did not recognise. He recommended us a boxlike contraption, about half the size of a mobile phone, that he said could help us to cheat on exams. We were flattered that he thought we were of exam-sitting age.
US is waging a tech war against this Shenzhen district
We spotted what looked like a first-generation iPhone and an old Nintendo console. We were digging through the piles of electronics when it occurred to us that they might be picked out of rubbish dumps or other unsavoury places. We went to an all-night convenience store and bought hand sanitiser.
﻿A nearby fruit stall was open but business was poor. Not many people bought fruits at 1am in the morning.
The night market was a good place to test whether you have a good eye, because most traders themselves could not tell you what the product was and how it worked.




﻿Being used to buying things online where prices are mostly fixed, our bargaining skills have atrophied. Even though many of the items were dirt-cheap, there was some aggressive haggling.
Some did it for entertainment and treated it as sport. The best hagglers attracted onlookers who cheered when deals were struck. One tip: even if you are just buying a mobile casing for a yuan (14 US cents), make sure to ask for a free charging line.
“Why do not you bargain with me if you think five yuan is too expensive for the lamp?” one vendor asked a potential buyer. Onlookers chimed in with their own advice – two yuan is all that it was worth.
The vendor grumbled that he was being robbed, before handing over the lamp and asking to be paid by the WeChat mobile payment app.
Shenzhen hopes to clear talent hurdle with overseas recruitment drive
A shopper from India, who gave his name as Kapil, was hoping to land a cheap, second-hand smartphone. He considered a pre-owned Xiaomi Mi 9. The battery did not work but replacing it costs only 60 yuan, “a bargain,” the vendor smiled, trying to persuade Kapil to take the phone off his hands.
When Kapil did not bite and looked like he was going to leave, the vendor pulled out his own Oppo phone from his pocket and tried to sell it for 1,200 yuan. “This is a high-end product, the original price is over 3,000 yuan”, he said. Kapil shook his head and left.
By around 2am, the crowds began to thin noticeably. Many of the “ghosts” were also packing up. We also decided to call it a night.
﻿In a few hours, the sun would rise and another day begin at Huaqiangbei.

For more insights into China tech, join our Facebook group, subscribe to our Inside China Tech podcast, and download the comprehensive 2019 China Internet Report. Also roam China Tech City, an award-winning interactive digital map at our sister site Abacus.



A ‘ghost market’ hangs on in the shadow of Shenzhen’s hi-tech ambitions

Vendors and purchasers are arguing and bargaining the prices. Photo : SCMP

The night market is full of second-hand electronic devices such as radios and dumbphones. Photo : SCMP

Tech

News

China

People & Culture


This is part of an occasional series on tech in Shenzhen, the city that has been called “China’s Silicon Valley”
The night market takes place after dark in Huaqiangbei, the world’s biggest electronics wholesale district



A “ghost market” featuring mostly second-hand electronics of uncertain provenance draws late-night shoppers to Huaqiangbei, the world’s biggest electronics wholesale district


Shenzhen

China technology

A ‘ghost market’ hangs on in the shadow of Shenzhen’s hi-tech ambitions

This is part of an occasional series on tech in Shenzhen, the city that has been called “China’s Silicon Valley” The night market takes place after dark in Huaqiangbei, the world’s biggest electronics wholesale district

This is part of an occasional series on tech in Shenzhen, the city that has been called “China’s Silicon Valley”

The night market takes place after dark in Huaqiangbei, the world’s biggest electronics wholesale district