People buy decorations for the Spring Festival at the Zhonggong bazzar in Jinan. [Photo/Jinan Daily]

The Zhonggong bazzar in Jinan opened on Jan 2, signaling the approach of the Spring Festival, or the Chinese Lunar New Year, which falls on Jan 22 this year.

Originating in the Han Dynasty (202 BC-AD 220) and flourishing in the Tang Dynasty  (618-907), the Zhonggong bazzar has a history of more than 2,000 years.

The bazzar has more than 800 stalls in its 15,000-square-meter area, and offers locals' agricultural products, vegetables and fruits, seafood and aquatic products, household items, potted plants, and pets, which attract countless people from downtown and surrounding areas to the bazzar to shop for the upcoming Spring Festival.

A bird's-eye view of crowds of people shopping at the Zhonggong bazzar in Jinan. [Photo/Jinan Daily]

A large number of people wait for the special snacks in front of a stall at the Zhonggong bazzar in Jinan. [Photo/Jinan Daily]

Jinan's Zhonggong bazzar attracts hordes of people. [Photo/Jinan Daily]

An aerial photo of people shopping at the grand bazaar in Jinan. [Photo/Jinan Daily]