The Second-Hand Markets of Huaqianbei

Huaqianbei, Shenzhen, China

By Darcy Bender
e-waste, repair, electronics, china, markets

Huaqianbei is known as the epicenter of electronics markets. This map explores some of the second-hand markets in the neighborhood.

Huaqianbei is a neighborhood in Shenzhen, China that is known for its massive electronics markets. In January, I visited Huaqianbei while researching the waste infrastructures of the Pearl River Delta as a student fellow with the India China Institute. Why would I visit an electronics market if I was researching waste? Well, it just so happens that besides being home to just about every new component needed to remake your own iPhone, the markets are also home to repair shops and second-hand markets. This map shows a side of Huaqianbei that is not always seen by the casual shopper (I had to trace some of the markets by hand because their buildings do not show up on all maps) and tells the story of how the neighborhood might be a model for the future. The repair stalls can usually be found along the edges and upper floors of the markets selling new products. These stalls have anywhere from 2 to 10 employees soldering broken phones, salvaging for parts, or combining old and new components to make “shanzhai” electronics. The work done in these stalls not only exhibits the creativity, innovation and ingenuity of the employees, but it also diverts toxic materials from landfills. Not only can you get your screen fixed at these markets, you can even buy the machine that is used to fix it. These markets are not meant only for individual consumers, but for hackers, manufacturers, wholesalers, repairers and makers. If you are interested in starting your own cell phone repair shop, look no further than Huaqianbei for all the equipment you would need! The most incredible market I saw was Xin Tian Di a market selling exclusively second-hand cell phones. Before the phones are made available for sale in this market, they cross the border into Shenzhen from Hong Kong where they were bought in bulk from a country that ships its unwanted phones away. The shopkeepers told me the phones would most likely be repaired and sold to places with a market for used phones (like areas of rural China and Africa) or salvaged for parts. To me, this journey is both incredible and a bit disheartening. It is amazing to think of the global networks and flows that enable bundles of old phones to cross oceans and the ingenuity that goes into re-purposing the phones for future use. However, it is sobering to think of the vast amounts of electronics that are not repaired or reused and find their way into dumps, landfills and toxic recycling hubs instead of markets such as this. The tech lust of my contemporaries and an economy based on endless growth fuels the depletion of finite resources and creates a never-ending stream of waste. In an era defined by the indelible marks left by humans on the planet, these repair shops and second-hand stores are prolonging the life of some of the most costly objects we make. More than the stores selling brand new drones and unlicensed iPhones, these repair shops and second-hand markets just might be the way of the future.