Photos: Shenzhen electronics market Huaqiangbei remains a knockoff paradise
Photos: Shenzhen electronics market Huaqiangbei remains a knockoff paradise
If you’re after the latest electronic gadgets or digital products and are feeling adventurous to go deep, then this place located in Shenzhen, also known as China’s Silicon Valley, would be paradise.
Huaqiangbei Commercial Area, a gigantic electronics market in the center of Shenzhen, is where numerous electronic stores, retail, wholesale outlets and everything in between stretch block after block. Visitors can come here to look for bargains, but most stores here serve startups from all parts of China flocking to this city to seek more business opportunities.
While you can find electronics parts such as hard drives, chips or LEDs in these shops, Huaqiangbei is especially famous for its huge collections of “knockoffs” which are copies of well known brands. Huaqiangbei is definitely a place worth a visit. Even if you have little interest in electronics, it is still worth seeing a place that showcases the driving force of the local economy in one of China’s most dynamic cities.
AllChinaTech paid a visit to this fascinating complex, and took some photos of its multi-level electronics megastores.
Lots of cheap bargains for electronic parts or even knockoffs at the Huaqiangbei Commercial Area.A multi-level building selling numerous electronic products, most of which are manufactured in Shenzhen.Most stores here sell their products at wholesale prices to vendors, retailers and individual consumers.Yes, these Fitbit-like fitness wearable devices are “copycat” products. Prices of these “copycats” range from RMB 128 to 188 (USD 18 to 27). And yes, there is still room for bargaining.Virtual reality headsets are particularly hot here. It is hard not to come across one when you walk around the area. This headset is made by REMAX and costs RMB 899.It can be confusing when you first see these, not knowing what they are. These portable power banks are just too cute to resist.Okay, now we are talking. These are blatant knockoffs. “We carry better ones [knockoffs] made with higher copying techniques, but here are some of the more affordable ones,” said a vendor at this store.This BOSE speaker looks very similar to the original one, but how well would it sound as compared to the original speakers? The vendor inserted a USB drive into the speaker, and exercise music that elderly women often dance to started to flow. The music was fine, but unfortunately the sound quality was just poor. The vendor offered a RMB 100 (USD 14.50) deal after several rounds of bargaining, whereas an original BOSE speaker would cost RMB 1,299 (USD 188.50) online in China. Despite the vendor’s seemingly ‘good’ price offer, it still didn’t entice me to whip up my wallet to purchase speakers of compromised quality.Drones are also popular here. The white one with a camera costs RMB 300.“Combat counterfeits,” reads a red sign hung from the ceiling. Oh, the irony!Huaqiangbei is like an ongoing year-long electronics fair with loud clashing music constantly playing.Vendors rent stalls in the multi-level buildings and will try to stop passersby to make a sale.This store on the streets in Huaqiangbei carries the hottest items — VR headsets and dancing toy robots.A vendor closing his store in Huaqiangbei at about 7 p.m.
![Okay, now we are talking. These are blatant knockoffs. “We carry better ones [knockoffs] made with higher copying techniques, but here are some of the more affordable ones,” said a vendor at this store.](https://i0.wp.com/52.36.255.82/alltechasia/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Huaqiangbei-wtm-7.jpg)
