BRASH, bustling and brimful of confidence, Shanghai is mercantile China at its
pushiest. But when it comes to shopping, it's not an easy city to suss.
Yes, you can go to all the obvious places, but, if possible, it's worth
finding a good Chinese guide to take you to the lesser-known, stranger
quarters - you'll have fewer certainties, but a lot more fun.
I don't see a lot of point in arriving in Shanghai and heading straight for
the swanky malls and shops on The Bund (though this area is a must for other
reasons - it overlooks the Huangpu River, has excellent restaurants, and is
lined with historical buildings that offer a glimpse of why Shanghai once
was called the Paris of the East). Head, instead, for something that at
least gives the illusion of being authentically “Chinese”.
Xintiandi is Shanghai's attempt to give visitors the feeling of being in
“China” as opposed to being a bit-part player in a futuristic Spielberg
movie. It may have been artificially created - “Disney China”, as its
critics call it - but it has some real charm, isn't pretending to be in New
York (a real blessing) and has shops that sell everything from fashion to
jewellery, ceramics and art. Look at the IT department store and Shanghai
Trio as well as Xavier, Unit 2, 181 Taicang Lu, for clothes that don't make
you feel as if you're wearing fancy dress.
China may make most of the world's clothes, but few designers have made their
own names on the international stage. Lu Kun is a home-grown Shanghai
designer who produces clothes that are mostly rooted in Chinese aesthetics
but are at home in Western settings. I bought a gorgeous black-over-white
lace skirt for about £120 (nothing Chinese about that, I know, except that
it was wonderful value for money). Make an appointment to view and shop by
ringing 8621 63451120.
Wang Wei doesn't deal in mandarin collars and flying dragons - he deconstructs
traditional Chinese clothing until he reaches what he calls a “powerful core
- like Yin and Yang” - his huge jackets and coats and asymmetrical jackets
have a distinctly Eastern tinge, but are gloriously glamorous. His clothes
can be seen and bought at Amber Cai 25a, Tower 3, Plaza Gallery, Xie Tu
Road.
The fabric market at 399 Lujiabang Lu, Old City, is a wonderful collection of
stalls selling every manner of cloth - tailors will make up almost anything
to order and I bought a son-in-law a gorgeous
navy-blue cashmere coat lined in red silk for £60.
Yuyuan Bazaar, corner of Fuyou Lu and Jiujiachang Lu, Old City, is a great
one-stop shopping bazaar - you could find anything from oceans of pearls to
jade, as well as a fantastic selection of antiques (I bought some gorgeous
old babies carrying shawls from a remote province for about £200) and
antique textiles.
Dong Tai Road Antique Market is a must, although you need to understand that
the word “antique” is pretty loosely applied to anything from a watch that
doesn't work to statues of Mao made by the thousands in a nearby factory.
Never mind, it's fun. The small stalls sell dusty ornaments, sculptures, old
textiles, ceramics, old records, Mao memorabilia, watches and a whole lot
else.
Yatai Xinyang Fashion and Gift Market (by the Science and Technology Museum)
has nothing ancient, but there is an authentic Chinese mercantile buzz here.
This underground maze is filled with tiny shops and it's the place for
souvenirs that go for a song - T-shirts, scarves, handbags, hold-alls.
You'll find rip-offs of the fashionable watches, handbags and luggage of the
moment, but remember that the trade in fake goods is illegal.
Chinese art has been lighting up the sale rooms of the West for some time now,
and it's a whole lot of
fun to try to unearth your own Chinese version of a budding Damien Hirst.
Head down to Moganshan Lu, where in converted warehouses there are galleries,
workshops and studios - visitors can poke around to see if there is anything
that takes their fancy. What's on offer varies, but you could find anything
from sculpture and paintings to photograph, video art and craft. You could
pick up a picture for something like £200, and even if you aren't of a mind
to buy, it offers a fascinating glimpse into contemporary Shanghai culture.
It is hard to pick one gallery, but if I had to, I would say head for Shine,
which is young, new and challenging. For serious collectors the ShanghART
gallery is the place to go (www.shanghartgallery.com).
Madame Mao's Dowry is a fabulous store for those wanting to track down
something they can't find in the mall back home. It's at 70 Fuxing Xi Lu,
Xuhui, and has all those kitschy revolutionary propaganda posters, teapots,
ceramics, statues, watches and the rest. A great outlet for presents.
Suzhou Cobblers at No 17, Fuzhou Road (just by The Bund) sells delicious silk
slippers, great little shoes, Chinese-influenced bags and holdalls and some
cute children's sweaters - all nothing like the standard department store
fare you find back home.
Jehanne de Biolley is a wonderful jeweller who works in Beijing in an unusual
gallery set in a Ming Dynasty structure. Some of her pieces can be seen and
bought in Shanghai. She can be contacted on jehannecuicui@gmail.com.
Hong Merchant is the house of Pia Pierre - a beautiful old house in the old
French concession that is worth seeing in its own right. It's at Number 3
Lane, 372 Xing Guo Road and is filled with Chinese furniture and art pieces,
all of which are for sale. Call 8621 6283 2696 for an appointment.
Finally, I stayed in the Shangri-la Hotel in Pudong and anybody who is daunted
by finding their way around Shanghai should order its special shopping
package or just ask for a personal shopper and car to accompany them for the
day (or half-day). You could save yourself hours.
NEED TO KNOW
Virgin Atlantic
(0870 5747747, www.virginatlantic.com)
flies daily from Heathrow to Shanghai from £560.
Stay The Shangri-La Pudong (0800 0283337, www.shangri-la.com)
has doubles from £180 a night.
Visa Information
is available at www.chinese-embassy.org.uk
Read Shanghai
(Time Out, £12.99)
£60 for a cashmere coat.... rip-off.... you could have got it for £30.... Shanghainese have a dislike for foreigners but a love of their wallets, they'll estimate everything at 2-10 times the cost, just for you... awh, isn't that nice
Jack Walsh, Shanghai, China
£60 for a cashmere coat, rip-off, you could have got it for £30....
That's the problem with Shanghai shopping. The Shanghainese have a distaste for foreigners but a love for their wallets, they'll estimate everything at 2-10 times the prices, just on how gullible you look, isn't that nice!
Jack Walsh, Shanghai, China
Yeah Shanghai shopping is fantastic. Vive le shopping world wide. I agree.
S Whitehead, St Sulpice le Gueretois, France
Shanghai's definitely a great place to visit - for a real insider's take, the Complete Residents' Guide to Shanghai by Explorer Publishing is well worth getting hold of - it's written by people who live there, so has lots of great info you might not find otherwise.
Hannah, London, UK
For other Shanghai shopping / eating / drinking / sleeping tips, the Luxe Guide is excellent.
Oonagh, Hong Kong,