New farmers' market to open in Wudang

The new farmers' market is set to open by the end of September. [Photo/WeChat account of Wudang district]

The old market is in a state of serious disrepair. [Photo/WeChat account of Wudang district]

As one of the "Ten Practical Matters" in Wudang district, Guiyang, capital of Southwest China's Guizhou province, the new farmers' market in the district's Shuitian town is nearly complete and expected to open by the end of September. It is set to be twice the size of the old market.

Construction on the new farmers' market began in April last year, with a total investment of 5 million yuan ($697,000) and a building area of 4,208 square meters. The development includes 1,348.48 sq m of shop space, 155 market stalls, 2,107.52 sq m dedicated to the farmers' market, 63 outdoor parking spaces and 60 reserved shop spaces.

At the old farmers' market, which has been in use for over 20 years and spans just over 1,000 sq m, the infrastructure is in a state of serious disrepair. The rusted steel-frame roof has holes where corroded panels have fallen away, posing safety risks despite the installation of protective nets.

Moreover, the old market is located next to a middle school, where over 100 vehicles crowd the area on weekends to pick up and drop off students, exacerbating traffic and parking issues.

Therefore, the new market is a priority for Shuitian town. The town is closely monitoring construction progress.

Additionally, once the old market is vacated, the site is planned to be redeveloped into a parking lot.