Wal-Mart just recalled donkey meat in China because it contained meat from other animals, including fox.
Despite the recent scandal, the mega-retailer has become wildly popular in China. Wal-Mart plans to open 110 additional stores there in the next few years.
Shopping at a Chinese Wal-Mart is totally different from shopping in one in the U.S.
We highlighted some notable contrasts.
1. People pick up raw meat to buy with their bare hands.
Reuters captured this image of customers selecting pieces of rabbit meat with their bare hands at a Wal-Mart Supercenter in the Chongqing municipality.
Photo: Reuters
2. The crowds are way worse.
Reuters shows an insane stampede at a newly-opened Shanghai location. Travel writer Catherine Bodry says that Chinese Wal-Marts are uncomfortably crowded inside, with no room for personal space.
Photo: Reuters
3. You can catch your own frogs, fish, and turtles.
American YouTube user ILuvTrading was a little creeped out by the open tanks. He also notes that they smell bad.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
4. You don’t buy in bulk.
Most Chinese shoppers don’t have space at home to store massive quantities of food, so Wal-Mart offers smaller quantities there.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
5. Wal-Mart offers free bus rides for shoppers.
YouTube user SurfDawg5 highlights how Wal-Mart makes it easy for shoppers to get to the store.
Photo: YouTube
6. You can buy alligator meat.
There are other exotic reptiles available if you prefer lizards.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
7. LCD screens advertise the products in every aisle.
These advertisements can change with the displays.
Photo: PRNewswire
8. Rice is sold in giant, open vats.
Customers just scoop their quantity into a bag, similar to produce in America.
Photo: Wootang01 on Flickr
9. There are luxury candy sections.
Flickr user David Thiel was surprised at the impressive selection when he visited a store in Shanghai.
Photo: David Thlel on Flickr
10. Foods are mostly kept in the open instead of being packaged.
“The Chinese are more focused on eating natural-looking food straight from a farm,” Brian Sozzi, chief equities strategist at Belus Capital, told us. “It doesn’t make sense to necessarily package a piece of steak at a Wal-Mart China.”
Photo: JKSolomon on Flickr
Highest Starbucks in Japan set to open this spring in the Tokyo sky
Yakuzen ramen restaurant in Tokyo is very different to a yakuza ramen restaurant
Survey finds that one in five high schoolers don’t know who music legend Masaharu Fukuyama is
Burning through cash just to throw things away tops list of headaches when moving house in Japan
McDonald’s ad in Japan causes controversy overseas
Highest Starbucks in Japan set to open this spring in the Tokyo sky
Yakuzen ramen restaurant in Tokyo is very different to a yakuza ramen restaurant
Survey finds that one in five high schoolers don’t know who music legend Masaharu Fukuyama is
Burning through cash just to throw things away tops list of headaches when moving house in Japan
McDonald’s ad in Japan causes controversy overseas
Foreign tourists in Japan will get free Shinkansen tickets to promote regional tourism
The Sailor Moon theme song is based on another song about drinking a lot of tequila【Video】
This is what a 10,800-yen (US$100) Tokyo sushi boxed lunch looks like【Taste test】
Japanese manhole covers become a hit with foreign tourists in off-the-beaten path Tokyo area
We visit the 24-hour male-only sauna just outside of Hakata Station and ponder a strange sight
The 10 most annoying things foreign tourists do on Japanese trains, according to locals
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Naruto and Converse team up for new line of shinobi sneakers[Photos]
Is Sapporio’s Snow Festival awesome enough to be worth visiting even if you hate the snow? [Pics]
Japan has trams that say “sorry” while they ride around town…but why?
Tokyo Skytree turns pink for the cherry blossom season
Sakura Totoro is here to get spring started early with adorable pouches and plushies
Poop is in full bloom at the Unko Museums for cherry blossom season
Shibuya Station’s Hachiko Gate and Yamanote Line stairway locations change next month
Japan’s new “Cunte” contact lenses aren’t pronounced like you’re probably thinking they are
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Foreigners accounting for over 80 percent of off-course skiers needing rescue in Japan’s Hokkaido
Super-salty pizza sends six kids to the hospital in Japan, linguistics blamed
Starbucks Japan unveils new sakura Frappuccino for cherry blossom season 2026
Take a trip to Japan’s Dododo Land, the most irritating place on Earth
Is China’s don’t-go-to-Japan warning affecting the lines at a popular Tokyo gyukatsu restaurant?
Survey asks foreign tourists what bothered them in Japan, more than half gave same answer
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Studio Ghibli releases Kodama forest spirits from Princess Mononoke to light up your home
Major Japanese hotel chain says reservations via overseas booking sites may not be valid
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
No more using real katana for tourism activities, Japan’s National Police Agency says
Foreign tourists in Japan will get free Shinkansen tickets to promote regional tourism
The Sailor Moon theme song is based on another song about drinking a lot of tequila【Video】
This is what a 10,800-yen (US$100) Tokyo sushi boxed lunch looks like【Taste test】
Japanese manhole covers become a hit with foreign tourists in off-the-beaten path Tokyo area
We visit the 24-hour male-only sauna just outside of Hakata Station and ponder a strange sight
Act of Japanese kindness touches one man’s heart, provides hope for elevator etiquette
We try McDonald’s Japan’s new teriyaki burgers
Buddhist priest at Japanese temple lodging goes viral for rude responses to tourist’s bad reviews
Playing Switch 2 games with just one hand is possible thanks to Japanese peripheral maker
Feast your eyes on yet more adorable 8-bit GIFs depicting daily life in Japan
McDonald’s Japan releases a Mushroom Mountain and Bamboo Shoot Village McFlurry
Japan’s new “Cunte” contact lenses aren’t pronounced like you’re probably thinking they are