Shanghai on my mind -2

Shopping

A trip to Shanghai is not complete without shopping. Sure you can visit Lane Crawford, Ferre and Louis Vuitton. Or if you visit in March, a shopping center called Plaza 66 on Najing Xi Street will be open for business with Piaget, Gucci and Prada. However, if you love bargains and antiques (both real and fake) then there are two fabulous markets you should not miss!

On the corner of Tong Tai and Zizhong Streets is a row of stalls that is a delight to anyone looking for chinoiserie, beads, jewelry, ceramics and even old clocks. It is interesting to note that there are a few old English porcelain pieces, some in good condition, at prices way below those of Portobello Road in London. The gem of all markets is the gravedigger’s building in the Yu Yuan Market, across from the tourist and shopping center of the same name, on Fang Bang Street. The gravedigger’s market is six floors of products from all over China, India, Tibet and South East Asia. Jade, coral, amber, ceramics, furniture, wood products, religious figures (Buddha heads galore!), lacquer, textile---- you name it, they’ve got it both old and new, real and fake. It is a decorator’s and collector’s dream.

The top two floors of the gravedigger’s market are open only on Saturdays and Sundays. The vendors come from the provinces and according to one Shanghai resident, "I come every week and there was never a time I came here and didn’t buy anything." The best time to get first pick on goods is Saturday morning but the best time for bargains is around 3 p.m. on Sunday when the vendors are packing up.

They key to bargaining in these Shanghai markets is to go down to 10% of the asking price then walk away. Sometimes they come after you; 90% of the time, you’ll get whatever you want for 25-50% of the asking price. Unless you are an antiques expert, simply assume everything in these markets are fake. Although I must say that I did get an old jade and gold hairpin from the Thirties that I strongly feel is real.

A strange sight in Shanghai is their taxis where the drivers are encased in plexiglass.

This must be the Shanghainese answer to the glass that separates New York and London cab drivers from their passengers. A final piece of advice: Shanghai cab drivers still will try to pull a fast one on you so ask for a receipt or "fa piao." On it you will find the car number and the company’s phone number. You can call to complain if you’ve been overcharged or if the driver was rude. One of my friends did so and got her money back.