The main and the biggest bazaar is the Dordoi clothes bazaar. Its relatively low prices attract buyers and traders from Kyrgyzstan as well as Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan. The poor quality, cheap Chinese products have always played an important role in satisfying the demands of the poor in the post-Soviet states and in Kyrgyzstan in particular. In recent times there has been a rapidly increasing flow of Chinese traders selling Chinese goods in Kyrgyzstani bazaars. Many have come to Kyrgyzstan illegally, unregistered without paying taxes that local traders pay.
Chinese traders sell their goods for lower prices and take away clients from local traders.
The trade union of local bazaar workers has persuaded bazaar directors to issue a prohibition on the rental of containers to Chinese traders. According to official data, there are no Chinese traders operating in the bazaar but in reality, there are more than 50 of them. When Chinese traders convinced one bazaar director to install 20 containers for Chinese use and to open a new Chinese trade pavilion, thousands of local traders rioted in protest. Hundreds of militia arrived at the bazaar to control the rioting. Officials came to calm the protestors and promised to take all necessary actions to solve the problems.