Xianyu is a second-hand marketplace run by Alibaba Group (the Taobao family). It is similar in role to Japan’s Mercari, centred on person-to-person (C2C) trading.
Key features
- Centred on C2C trading
- Rich in used goods and collector items
- You can sometimes find China-limited or rare items
- Price negotiation (haggling) is normal
Using it from Japan
Communication is in Chinese, so a translation tool is needed. From Japan, going through a forwarding or proxy service is the practical route.
It suits one-way purchases where you buy without chatting, which also lowers the language barrier.
Related pages
Taobao ・ JD.com