Field Research on Religious and Cultural Harmony in Yiwu

In 2023, I led my club members on two field research trips to the Yiwu International Trade City in Wenzhou, one of the world’s largest small commodities markets and a vibrant hub of global exchange. Over the course of our visits, we interviewed dozens of traders, workers, and community members, documenting their experiences and perspectives.

Yiwu is a remarkable place where people from diverse ethnicities, nationalities, and religions—including different branches of the same faith—live and work side by side in harmony. There is no sectarian conflict; instead, shared spaces for prayer and worship are embraced by all. Our research aimed to understand the cultural, social, and economic factors that have enabled such peaceful coexistence, and to explore how these lessons might be applied more broadly to promote mutual respect and understanding.

This project deepened my appreciation for the role of everyday human interactions in building bridges across cultural and religious divides. In Yiwu, harmony is not just an ideal—it is a lived reality shaped by openness, mutual benefit, and respect. It strengthened my belief that, through empathy and shared purpose, humanity can move toward a future of interfaith love and global unity.