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Shopping in Shanghai

To me, Shanghai doesn't offer much for the tourist. Sure, one can go to the Yuyuan Gardens one afternoon and maybe take a boat ride on the river (best at night to see the lights on the Bund). Luckily the shopping is terrific and stores are open until 10 pm daily. Here are some of my favorite places to shop:

1. Pearls - Freshwater pearls are cheap. Pearl City on Nanjing Road is the easiest place to get to. I usually stay in Xintandi and take the subway out to Nanjing Road (sorry, I don't remember the stop but I think it's near Remnin Park) and walk to the shopping area on Nanjing Road. There are lots and lots of department stores and restaurants on the pedestrian only section of Nanjing Road. Pearl City is located at 558 Nanjing Road East on the second and third floor above a KFC. Expect to bargain hard with the vendors. Yuyuan Gardens also has lots of vendors selling pearls and other jewelry (along with other souvenirs).

2. Tailor-made clothing - Nothing beats a custom made shirt or pants, especially when it's less expensive than buying retail. Cashmere and wool are plentiful, along with silk and cotton. You can get anything made at the South Bund Soft-Spinning Material Market including leather jackets, suits, dresses, blouses, jeans. Bring clothes to be altered or your favorite item to be replicated. Again, bargaining is to be expected. You can have clothes delivered to your hotel room for no extra charge. Typically takes 3 days to turn an item around. And when it arrives and it's too big or small, bring it back and have them alter it. The South Bund fabric market also sells plenty of silk souvenirs (placemats, table runners, photo albums, kleenex covers) and some fake purses. It's very crowded on the weekends. Address is 399 LuJiaBang Road.

3. Silk rugs - A large selection of silk rugs await you. Definitely cheaper than the US, but still not inexpensive. I liked being able to find rugs in oval and other shapes that are rare in the U.S. Silk rugs fold up nicely to fit in a suitcase. Golden Silk Road is not cheap, but they also sell wool rugs from Iran and other locations - 1394 West Beijing Road. The owner was once exiled to Richmond, VA and speaks very good English.

4. Antiques - Even if you're not a collector, the Old Town antiques area is just fun to wander around. It's near the Xintandi area and cover a number of streets. The animal market nearby is also supposed to be interesting (i.e., birds, fish, grasshopper cages).

There are a number of clothing boutique stores near Yuyuan Gardens that are worth visiting. Remember, the women in China are more petite and a Small in the US is a Large in China.

I've found electronics to be overpriced. The counterfeit markets are always on the move after being shut down two years ago. Ask around and I'm sure you'll find its new location.

The Xintandi area is expensive, but there are lots of very good restaurants including a brew pub in the area. It's also close to one of the major shopping roads (I believe it's Hongqiao Rd).

There is one item that I wish I purchased - a silk comforter. Similar to a down comforter, but more suitable for warm climates (like Houston!).

One word of caution - Taxi drivers have no clue as to where anything is located other than the big landmarks (e.g., Yuyuan Garden). It's best to have someone write the address in Mandarin and also provide a map with nearby landmarks. The addresses provided above will not be sufficient for a taxi driver to find. I like to grab the business card (usually written in both Mandarin and English) of the hotel and shop specifically for the benefit of the taxi driver.

Happy shopping!

By houstongal (Trustee board) on Jun 24, 2008, 12:23 in China forum.

houstongal (Trustee board) says on Jun 24, 2008, 12:24:

Anyone else have favorite places to shop in Shanghai?

"It is now official: there's no place on earth where you will not find a Peruvian band." David Sedaris

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Peter (Moderator) (Trustee board) (Dev team) (☼Travelguide writer) says on Jun 25, 2008, 06:38:

Never been there, but your list sounds great. A silk comforter? Wow!

Poor but snappy

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houstongal (Trustee board) says on Jun 25, 2008, 15:44:

They're quite inexpensive. They "breathe" better than cotton. Keeps you cool when it's hot and supposedly warm when it's cold.

"It is now official: there's no place on earth where you will not find a Peruvian band." David Sedaris

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houstongal (Trustee board) says on Jun 29, 2008, 17:21:

Yeah, the Shanghai dumplings filled with broth are awesome!! So incredibly delicate.

"It is now official: there's no place on earth where you will not find a Peruvian band." David Sedaris

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frede says on May 15, 2009, 05:34:

Dragon fly...offers great massages...many locations! Ive seen many expats and euros...there!
I learned how to negotiate...the way, only being there, you could believe! Fun, fun! Can you say "watch, bag,or dvd?"(always bring a Chinese translator with you when shopping, the price is half...for locals!)

I highly recommend, walking...the taxi drivers are crazy as hell! Unless you like being inside a video game!

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