A FLEA market selling folk craftwork and fashion goods opened June 4 at the Folk Culture Street near Haiyun’an Temple in Sifang District.

    The market, whose booth keepers are all college students, is the first of its kind in China.

    Zhang Qixi opened a booth to sell handmade ceramic jewelry.

    “It takes me two or three days to make one piece,” said Zhang, who graduated from the ceramic arts design department of Shandong University of Arts in 2009.

    Zhang used to work as an office clerk but always has a passion for ceramic design.

    “The market offered me a rare opportunity to start my own small business,” Zhang said.

    “We studied their business plans before allocating the booths,” said an official with Sifang District Human Resources Bureau. “The market is a lab for college students to try out their ideas and to revive local folk culture.”

    “The booths are provided free to college students,” said Huang Rui, official with a Sifang District job market. Huang said the market also has an online version where students could sell their products at a click.

    So far, 13 college students have opened booths in the market which will be expanded to 2,000 square meters to house 70 booths.

    (Chen Ting, Jia Feng)