Mao Yunfen from Huzhou poses with her Jordanian husband and their daughters in Yiwu, East China's Zhejiang province. [Photo/zgyww.cn]

Yiwu, the world's top small commodities wholesale hub, always surprises new arrivals with its large expat population and various international communities, local media reported on Oct 23.

According to the public security bureau of Yiwu, the city has around 15,000 foreign residents from more than 100 countries, and receives more than 550,000 foreign merchants every year.

Zhao Yunqin from Liaoning province poses with her Colombian husband and their three-year-old daughter. They have been in Yiwu for eight years, running an import and export business. [Photo/zgyww.cn]

The booming international trade has boosted exchanges in other fields, including culture, education, healthcare, and, of course, romance.

Statistics from the municipal marriage registration bureau show that from January 8, 2014 to September 16, 2019, the bureau recorded a total of 226 foreign-related marriages.

The increasing number of mixed families show that Yiwu is not only a land for innovation and entrepreneurship, but also a second home for many of its residents with an inclusive atmosphere and a good living environment.

Local native Fu Lin poses with her Dutch husband Bako and their two daughters. They met at a Starbucks, fell in love, and opened a Western food restaurant by the shore of Xiuhu Lake. [Photo/zgyww.cn]