SHIJIAZHUANG - More than 800 shop owners from a wholesale market in Beijing had been relocated to a new site in neighboring Hebei by Thursday, in a program that aims to ease logistics and transportation pressures on the capital.

In May, a cooperative agreement was signed by the Dahongmen region in Fengtai District, Beijing; and Baigou region in Baoding City, Hebei Province, to move traders from the famous Dahongmen clothing wholesale market to a new trade center in Baigou.

Baoding is about two hours of drive away from Beijing.

Part of the new clothing market opened Thursday.

"Baigou market helped us move from Beijing and we are confident of our future here," said a shop owner surnamed Cong.

Beijing is moving eight major wholesale markets out of the city to reduce population density and address traffic congestion.

It is estimated that more than 9,000 shops and 35,000 people will be affected in the relocation.