The Real Christmas Village Is in China

Stockings and fake trees aren't made by elves. They're made 150 miles southwest of Shanghai, in the city of Yiwu.

Heather Timmons

The Atlantic - Dec 25 2014

The Chinese city of Yiwu, about 250 kilometers from Shanghai, is often referred to as China’s “Christmas village” thanks to the massive amount of holiday-related merchandise made there. Xinhua, China’s state-news agency, claims that 60 percent of the world’s Christmas goods come from Yiwu. The products are often assembled by hand in primitive conditions.
Unknown Fields Division, a “nomadic design studio” that’s exploring the source of consumer goods, traveled to Yiwu with photographer Toby Smith to see the locals at work, and has just released a short, enlightening video of what they found:

As the video shows, making the world’s Christmas decor is a messy, labor-intensive affair that relies more on human beings than automation. “From a health and safety perspective the exposure to harmful chemicals and solvents is disturbing,” Smith told Quartz. “I also witnessed manufacturing techniques with machines that could easily be criticized from a Western vantage point. However the social working environment, working hours and general atmosphere of the factory was actually more pleasant than I have experienced in other manufacturing sectors.”
 
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