Wet markets in China

Wet market
Seafood section of Sanqi Baihui Market in Beijing
Traditional Chinese	傳統市場
Simplified Chinese	传统市场
Hanyu Pinyin	chuántǒng shìchǎng
Jyutping	cyun4 tung2 si5 coeng4
Literal meaning	traditional market
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin chuántǒng shìchǎng Yue: Cantonese Jyutping cyun4 tung2 si5 coeng4
Alternative Chinese name
Traditional Chinese	街市
Simplified Chinese	街市
Jyutping	gaai1 si5
Literal meaning	street market
Transcriptions Yue: Cantonese Jyutping gaai1 si5 IPA [kaj˥.si˩˧]

In China, wet markets are traditional markets that sell fresh meat, produce, and other perishable goods. They are the most prevalent food outlet in urban regions of China but have faced increasing competition from supermarkets. Since the 1990s, wet markets in large cities have been predominantly moved into modern indoor facilities.

Wildlife is not commonly sold in wet markets in China, but poorly-regulated wet markets have been linked to the spread of zoonotic diseases, including the 2002–2004 SARS outbreak, 2013 avian influenza outbreak, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Small-scale wildlife farming emerged in China in the 1980s and expanded in the 1990s with government support. Wildlife was banned from Chinese wet markets in 2003, with further restrictions and enforcement in 2020 following the spread of COVID-19.