From Los Angeles Times via Boston Globe
After 19 hours on a hard-seat train ride from Beijing, Zhao Taishan stood in the cold drizzle waiting for the mall doors to open.
The 45-year-old had come here, as he does every November, to buy items for his sporting goods business. He walked past corridors of stalls selling plush toys and artificial flowers, then took the escalator to the second floor.
He wended through halls overflowing with hair ornaments, jewelry, tools, small appliances, office supplies, electric vehicles, and recreation equipment. He walked up three ramps. Nearly 2 miles and 30 minutes later, Zhao phoned for directions to store No. 25,792.[Full Text]
