Introducing Liuzhou - Part 1: 飞鹅路 Fei'e Road

Liuzhou is such a great city that we want to introduce it to the world. And, if you come and work for us, this series will also give you some ideas for what to do when you arrive. Part 1 takes a look at the heart of the city's clothing retail district...

The Chinese love shopping! Their obsession outstrips even the most dedicated of British shopaholics and relatively small places seem to have a volume of shops far beyond what we're used to. Liuzhou has a few retail districts and lots of malls and, whilst most of these are fairly similar to what we're used to in the UK, 飞鹅路 Fei'e Road is something entirely different. Essentially a series of huge indoor markets, it's home to famous brands and thousands of small clothing stores and, particularly at weekends, is teeming with people in that way that only Asia cities seem to manage.

At the end nearest the city centre, the more standard clothing stores prevail, including one which will be familiar to Brits: Uniqlo. But, as you move west, towards the train station, the big brands increasingly make way for small, privately owned shops crammed along small alleyways inside huge indoor market spaces. I've never seen anything on this scale in the UK (local government figures say there are at least 6000 retailers) and the range of clothing on offer is remarkable. Also, prices are cheap and you can barter to get an even better deal.

Around the back of the retail stores, are a line of wholesale markets although, as an individual customer, you can also buy from these, meaning products are available far cheaper than the malls in the centre of town. I regularly visit the wholesaler for a retro Chinese trainer brand and get their shoes at half what they sell for elsewhere in the city. The whole experience is unlike anything in the UK and great deals are there for the taking.

Fei'e Road is an essential stop for anyone visiting Liuzhou, whether you're after some new clothes or just window shopping. If you live here, it could well become one of your regular haunts as well.

Comments

We're opening a school!

Changes are afoot! When we started Guangxi Education Recruitment we wanted to find and supply teachers for lots of English training centres in and around Liuzhou; we never considered entering the market ourselves. However, this is China, and opportunities abound so we are delighted to announce that our first English school is opening in this week... Looking at other providers in the city, we found that, despite schools generally offering a decent standard of education, most are not using their foreign teachers properly as a resource. Often brought in to provide additional classes, or simply an opportunity for students here to interact face to face with a real foreigner™ , the eponymous 外教 foreign English teacher is under used and underemployed. "Just speak to the students" is the inevitable reply when you ask the principal what they would like you to teach. Not so at 天才外教英语 Genius English Training Centre. We appreciate the value of having native speakers on board s

Introducing Liuzhou - Part 2: 马鞍山 Ma'an Mountain

We previously introduced Fei'e Road, Liuzhou's clothing retail hub. Nearby is one of the most famous parks in Liuzhou, Ma'an Mountain, which we'll tell you more about here in part 2... This is, hands down, one of the best parks in Liuzhou. Not necessarily the most beautiful, but somewhere which will, perhaps more than anywhere else in the city, show you an authentic slice of Chinese life and culture. Rising abruptly out of the ground just south of the river, it also plays host to the spot where you can see the most famous view of the city, shown below. Local Chinese, particularly elderly residents, come to the park everyday to sing, dance, play music, play chess, gamble, feed the fish, debate and chat. This park gives you an unsanitised view of real Chinese life, in complete contrast to the shiny malls and steal and glass towers in the city centre. It's a great way to spend an afternoon, watching the impromptu concerts and groups of old people dancing in uniso

Introducing Liuzhou - Part 3: 龙潭公园 Longtan Park

In part 3 of our series introducing Liuzhou, we visit another park; but not just any park: the most picturesque place in the city... Longtan Park is stunningly beautiful and the city's only 6A scenic area (or maybe 5A, the internet isn't entirely clear on this). Regardless, this is a must see place when you visit, and a natural choice for our cover photo when showing the world what Liuzhou has to offer. Situated around 3km south of the city centre, and easily accessible by public transport, Longtan Park is an unmissable spot, and somewhere you should go to regularly if you live here. As well as the wonderful scenery, the park also demonstrates Guangxi's rich culture, drawing from local minority communities and employing performers from the Zhuang, Dong, Miao and Yao ethnic groups among others. The park offers demonstrations of traditional dancing, singing and other performances, as well as playing host to a great restaurant showcasing local cuisine. As wit

Guangxi Education Recruitment

Search This Blog