Ma Jia is pictured along a corridor inside the Yiwu International Trade Market on Jan 27. [Photo/jhnews.com.cn]

An international student from Slovakia who goes by the Chinese name Ma Jia visited the Yiwu International Trade Market on Wednesday upon the invitation of the local authorities.

Ma, who is currently a master's student in psychology at the Hangzhou-based Zhejiang University, is also known by her online moniker PopMatta. On Chinese video-sharing website Bilibili, PopMatta boasts a fanbase of some 430,000 followers. Through the site, Ma shares about her life experiences in China, using fluent Mandarin that has left many locals in awe.

Ma Jia looks at a sand clock in a gift shop in the Yiwu International Trade Market on Jan 27. [Photo/jhnews.com.cn]

During the trip, Ma was constantly floored by the affordability of the goods on offer. At an ornament store, where Ma was eyeing a pair of earrings, the Slovakian's eyes widened when she found out that the product cost just 4.2 yuan ($0.65). Such was her disbelief that she even repeatedly confirmed the price with the shopkeeper.

"I definitely will transport a shipment of this stuff into Slovakia for resale!" she exclaimed.

Ma Jia talks to the shopkeeper of an ornament store in the Yiwu International Trade Market on Jan 27. [Photo/jhnews.com.cn]

Ma later came across another foreigner, an Iranian who goes by the Chinese name Dashan, at a Chinese lantern store. The pair chatted for some time about their experiences of the Lunar New Year, which this year falls on Feb 12.

Dashan said that many foreigners can be seen in Yiwu these days.

Another destination that Ma was impressed by during her two-day trip to Yiwu was Qingyanliu village, which is often referred to as "China's No.1 Online Retail Village".

Though the village only has a small population of around 1,700 residents, it is home to some 4,000 online stores and more than 20,000 e-commerce practitioners. Qingyanliu generates billions of yuan worth in sales every year.

As an internet celebrity, Ma was particularly curious about the working environment of Chinese commercial livestreamers. As such, she paid a visit to the office of Yameng E-Commerce Co in the village, where she observed how staff members managed commercial live-streaming.

"I used to communicate with customer service staff but had no idea they have worked so hard. They have to cope with tons of orders, talk to plenty of consumers, and solve so many problems. It truly requires a lot of patience," said Ma, after trying her hand at being a customer-service manager.

The company's director Zhou Dongliang, who moved to Yiwu seven years ago, told Ma that the company has received much financial support from the Yiwu municipal government and would pay double wages and generous allowances to their employees working during the upcoming Spring Festival. 

"My entire family and 41 colleagues will stay in Yiwu during the Lunar New Year holiday," Zhou said.

Ma said she was amazed by this work ethic demonstrated by Ma and his peers in the village.