As the Spring Festival approaches, Shanghai's imported fruit market is experiencing a surge in sales, marking the start of its peak season.
The Spring Festival, or Chinese Lunar New Year, falls on Jan. 29 this year. The holiday atmosphere gradually builds during the last lunar month of the year, with consumption surging across many fields as people prepare for the grand traditional festival.
A surge in demand for imported fruits like Chilean cherries has turned one wholesale market into a hub of activity, with vendors working 16-hour days to process the constant stream of orders.
"This year, the supply of Chilean cherries is abundant, and prices are slightly lower compared to previous years. Approximately 3,000 tons are supplied daily, and the sales peak is expected to last until the Spring Festival," said Wang Xianjian, a market management staff member.
In addition to cherries, the sales of imported citrus fruits, grapes, blueberries, and other items are also on the rise. Foreign suppliers are now a common sight in these markets, working closely with local vendors to ensure that their products are readily available to customers.
"It's amazing. In this market you can sell over 100 containers per day. So, our idea is to keep growing in the future and to provide to China more and more," said Victor Villagra, a Chilean merchant.
Shanghai sees surge in imported fruit sales ahead of Spring Festival
The Palestinian death toll in Gaza Strip has risen to 50,423, with 114,638 injured, after nearly 18 months of Israeli military operations, Gaza health authorities said Wednesday.
Local medical sources noted that since the Israeli army resumed its operations on March 18, the number of fatalities has reached 1,066, while 2,597 have been injured.
In the past 24 hours alone, hospitals in Gaza received 24 fatalities and 55 injured. Many bodies remain trapped beneath the rubble, with ambulances and civil defense personnel struggling to reach them.
According to a report by the Times of Israel, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced on Wednesday that it had carried out strikes on over 50 sites belonging to Hamas and other militant groups, ahead of a major ground push into the southern Gaza Strip. During the day, dozens more strikes were carried out across Gaza.
In addition, the IDF issued a statement on Wednesday night that it had intercepted two rockets launched from northern Gaza. Air raid sirens were activated in areas near the Gaza Strip, and local media said that there are no reports of injuries or damage in the attack. The Al-Quds Brigades, the armed wing of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, claimed responsibility for the attack.
According to Palestinian media reports on Wednesday, the Israeli air force targeted a medical facility operated by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza. The head of Gaza-based health authorities reported on the same day that 19 people were killed in the attack.
The Israeli military stated on Wednesday that it had struck a Hamas command center in Jabalia.
On Wednesday night, Al Jazeera quoted relevant sources as saying that Hamas officials had received Israel's response to the ceasefire proposal, which had been put forward by mediators and accepted by Hamas. Based on this response, they concluded that Israel had rejected the proposal.
Palestinian death toll in Gaza rises to 50,423
