A merchant at the Yiwu International Trade Market uses sticky notes to communicate with foreign merchants. [Photo/zgyww.cn]

On Feb 21, the Yiwu International Trade Market opened its doors for the Year of the Dragon. With 75,000 merchants and 2.1 million new products, the market bustled with activity as customers from around the world poured in.

"This morning, South American customers ordered over 100,000 plush toys via WeChat. Our factories are working at full throttle to meet demand," stated Lu Qingrong, who owns a toy shop at the market. Despite the Spring Festival holiday, he remained busy with inquiries, product viewings, and orders exceeding 1 million yuan ($139,101.16), a 30-percent increase compared to last year.

Peruvian couple Bruma livestreamed the market's offerings to their South American followers on the opening day. Their livestreaming account boasts nearly 50,000 followers. Last year, they purchased and shipped 50 containers of goods from Yiwu to multiple countries in South America and are excited for the new year.

Egyptian merchant Amro Salom visited the market and placed several orders on the opening day. He, too, is filled with optimism for the year ahead. Last year, he shipped over 100 containers of goods to various countries, and this year, he expects that figure to more than double.

According to statistics, on the opening day of the Yiwu International Trade Market, 94.6 percent of vendors were open, and there were a total of 228,000 visitors.