Do hipsters cry? I mean, cry unironic tears? Will they openly weep at the tragedy that has befallen all those that are surly-mirthful in Shenzhen now that the main source of cheap, tight jeans will soon be closing its doors, forever?

The Jiahua Foreign Trade Clothing Market will be shutting down on May 3. Included in this raze of the venerable retailer of the tacky and the counterfeit are the nearby Tongbao and Jijianian markets. Soon, there will be no T-shirts with poor spelling available on sale to fully express the dire consequences at hand here.

For 17 years, the Jiahua Market along with its brethen have been providing hipsters, tourists and locals alike with the one true universal language: bargains. Located near Huaqiang Metro Station at the back of Maoye Department store, Jiahua was especially known for providing male clothes in large sizes that are hard to find in China. Referred to as “Mother Earth” for the longest time because of an advertisement out front, Jiahua was also reputable as a good place to find women’s fashions, shoes for both sexes, and outdoor apparel.

But the affected are not just the big and tall. Jiahua was well-known as a place to purchase knock-off products: lovers of brand names can walk away from the market with several amazing deals.

However, Jiahua made every trip to browse its shops an interesting one by mixing up the inventory with both counterfeit and authentic branded clothes. If you were lucky, you could have showed up one day and purchased one out of a hundred in stock authentic branded T-shirts before they ran out. This reinforced the hard and fast rule of Jiahua Market: always bargain, and bargain hard.

Alas, we should remember the ones that will be hit the hardest by the closing of these three bargain markets: the hipster. It is the hipster that revels in the proliferation of clothes made at the cheapest cost for the least amount of taste. And while the Jiahua market did have some quality clothes for sale that can be appreciated unironically even by them, it’s the hipster that will most detest what will soon become of Mother Earth: a luxury shopping center.

After the initial notice to vacate the premises was first given out last year, the property owners Jianian Company gave each of the stores a month rent-free on top of a four month grace period to help with the move. At least half of the store managers are said to have not yet found new store locations.

Although, we think this shopping mall should sell tight jeans. Beside the food court.

Photos: SZ Home, Bendibao, Shenzhen Daily