Beijing downtown clean up, markets given the boot first

Another market in downtown Beijing shut up shop, for good, on Jan. 1, 2016.

The closure of the sprawling Yuyuantan Pet Market, one of the largest of its kind in Beijing that covered more than 2,000 square meters, is the most recent market, within Beijing's second ring road, to be forced to cease trading.

"Over the past few years, cool markets have slowly begun to disappear from Beijing's downtown area. It is a pity that this one could not escape the same fate," said one aquarist who had been a regular customer at the market for over two decades.

The municipal government, for its part, cited traffic and population pressures as the main drivers behind the closure of these markets. However, observers say this urban planning measure has its downside and will result in increased living costs for residents.

Gao Wei, secretary general of the Beijing Folk Custom Society, said those commercial tenants forced to vacate wholesale markets would have to open new stores and pay higher rental fees, which would eventually effect customers, as prices would increase.

"A city as big as Beijing should keep some of its low-cost business areas in the downtown area," he said.

Beijing's neighbors, including Hebei Province and Tianjin municipality have shown interest in welcoming Beijing's ousted commercial tenants. But Gao said that Beijing was a more attractive location as they had established a network of patrons and were guaranteed a constant flow of human traffic.