Then Shenzhen Shopping Carnival started yesterday with more than 10,000 products from different parts of China on sale at the Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Center.

More than 500 well-known companies have participated in the 12-day festival, which runs until Jan. 6, 2008.

The festival, sponsored by the Shenzhen Retailers Association and the Hong Kong International Trade Promotion Council, is divided into four sections: green food, autumn and winter clothes and accessories, household goods and leather products.

After the opening ceremony yesterday, most people swarmed into Hall 7, which exhibited foods and snacks from different localities. The food section includes desserts from Macao, snacks from Shanghai, fried dough from Tianjin, milk wine from Inner Mongolia and mushrooms from the Greater Higgnan Mountains which are located in Northeast China bordering Russia.

"Shenzhen is a migrant city, and it is lucky for us to be able to buy those products made in different parts of China," said Zhang Li, a retired worker who came to visit his son for the New Year. Zhang and his wife worked in Jilin Province before retirement. He often sent pine nuts and hazel nuts from the north to his grandson during holidays.

In Hall 6, where clothing is being exhibited, the organizer invited brand-name wool product manufacturers to display their latest designs.

The shopping festival opened at the turn of the year, because it is regarded as the best time for shopping promotion, said Hua Tao, general secretary of the Shenzhen retailers association.

(Shenzhen Daily December 28, 2007)