Humble beginnings

Dong opened Cindy Coffee in 2022, when she relocated to Changping for her daughter's education.

She came up with the idea of organizing a market fair in September 2023, when a friend returned from a trip to the Netherlands and enthusiastically told her about the popularity of weekend fairs there.

"Food and drink, as well as daily necessities, were on offer in the Dutch market. And unwanted products could be exchanged at the fairs as secondhand goods," Dong said of what she learned. "I was inspired by my friend and talked with the Party secretary of the village about consideration of opening a market," she said.

With the village's approval, Dong organized a secondhand goods market in the street, and then shifted it to a vacant spot inside a grove near the community. Even then, she hoped the market stalls could highlight artistic flair and individuality. "If stall keepers use a tablecloth and decorate their booths with flowers, they make trade (not only a transaction, but) a conscious lifestyle choice," she said.

Improvements to the streetscape also helped propel the market forward. Three years ago, hanging electric wires were clearly visible on the main road of Xinzhuang, along with unsightly utility poles. Nowadays, the wires are hidden below ground and the road is covered in flagstones. The makeover has been accompanied by the sprouting of restaurants, bread shops, cafes, gift stores and supermarkets.

Dong's coffee shop is a place where people like to sit and chat, which typifies the strong sense of community in Xinzhuang, she said.

"Unlike the usual experience of just visiting a place to shop, people are warm and welcoming in the village. You feel a genuine connection and become part of the community," she said.

About 80 to 100 spots are usually made available at the market fair every weekend, with each one costing 50 yuan ($6.80).

Dong hopes the homemade wares and goods offered for sale have some "emotional value" for buyers. "If the designs of the goods are cute, they can give people a calm and peaceful feeling. They feel different from mass-produced industrial products," she said.

Dong is hopeful more craftspeople will be attracted to the weekend fair to communicate with and influence other stallholders, who are eager to improve their wares.