From Shoe Mart to Dragon Mart

Right after graduation from university in 2008, I was lucky to find a job based in Dubai – the city famous for fantastic buildings. During my stay in Dubai, I didn’t feel any Sinophobia sentiments at all, but the locals are more and more satisfied with Chinese products.

However, when I arrived there and started seeking information about Chinese towns - like most first-time visitors to a foreign country - all I heard about was the Shoe Mart, a small, downtown business district full of shoe stores owned by Chinese overseas. The low cost of living, including cheap housing, means many Chinese live here. Its key words include dirty, fraud, cheap labors, cheap and low quality Chinese goods and whores. Female colleagues were advised not to go there at night.[More]