Beijing closes clothing wholesale market

Beijing on Thursday closed it last wholesale clothing market.

The Dongding market, the last of 12 clothing wholesale markets near the Beijing Zoo in downtown Beijing, was closed around 2 p.m. Thursday.

As the biggest clothing distribution center in north China, the markets attracted up to 100,000 buyers a day, with more than 12,000 booths and 40,000 salespeople.

Most of the vendors have moved to wholesale markets in Hebei and Tianjin.

Li Yunwei, an official with Xicheng District, home to the markets, said authorities will attract high-end businesses, including technology and financial firms, to fill the buildings.

Over the past few years, authorities in Beijing have closed wholesale markets and small polluting firms in a bid to upgrade the economy, control the population and reduce pollution.

In the first eight months of the year, Beijing dismantled 25 markets, closed another 41, and shut down or relocated more than 3,100 low-end businesses.