Sale of the century

Shanghai's colorful markets offer just about everything for the right price, Xu Junqian goes exploring.

With its imposing high-rise buildings, stunning skylines and exciting nightlife, Shanghai is China's most modern city. But beyond the glitz and glamour, you can still find plenty of old-fashioned, crowded markets offering myriad products for a fraction of the price of those found in shops, boutiques, and shopping malls. Indeed, bargains abound for just about everything - antiques, bric-a-brac, flowers, clothes, jewelry, books, fabrics and teas.

1) Fu You Men Commodity Market (City God Temple Market)

Next to the famous Yuyuan Garden, this is the most crowded market in Shanghai. Local people call it the City God Temple Market, as it's in vicinity of the City God Temple, built in the 15th century.

It began as a market selling candles and joss sticks for temple-goers, but now consists of several multi-storey buildings offering all kinds of products, from traditional Chinese arts and crafts to household goods. It is a perfect place for tourists with a small budget to grab a few souvenirs. Bring your bargaining skills.

Address: 427 Fuyou Road

Opening hours: 8 am-5 pm

Transportation: Bus No 66, 929, Metro line 10

2) Pearl's Circle-First Asia Jewelry Plaza

Next to the Yuyuan Garden and its commodity market, is the First Asia Jewelry Plaza, a four-storey Ming Dynasty-style building. The entire third floor is a large market selling pearls - you will be surprised with variety and designs of pearls and precious stones for sale. You can purchase ready-to-wear accessories and or design a piece and have it made in a few minutes.

Address: 288 Fuyou Road

Opening hours: 8:30 am-9 pm

Transportation: Bus No 66, 929, Metro line 10

3) Confucian Temple Book Fair

The Confucian Temple (also called Wen Miao) is the only temple left in the city honoring China's great philosopher, Confucius (551-479 BC). It was once the most prestigious learning institution in the city. Built in 1294 during the Yuan Dynasty when Shanghai was just taking shape from a small fish village, the temple was a typical combination of temple and school.

Now, it is not only a historical attraction, but also a popular site for students to pray to Confucius for a good results before their examinations and the largest second-hand book market in Shanghai, both for book lovers and collectors. Every Sunday, thousands of local collectors flood to the square in front of the temple to bargain, exchange, trade and buy rare and old editions. While behind the temple, there is a book bazaar, in the style of a market from the Ming and Qing dynasties, which sells new books and magazines at a discount of 20 to 30 percent.

Address: 215 Wenmiao Road (near Zhonghua Road)

Opening hours: 9 am-4:30 pm

Transportation: Bus No 911, 18, 24, Metro line 8

4) Dongtai Road Antique Market

Dongtai Road Antique Market is a great destination for treasure hunters. A few steps south of the hustle and bustle of Huaihai Road and close to Huaihai Park, this age-old street bazaar specializes in antiques. Most are fake or replicas, although the market is still a favorite place for experienced antique collectors to rummage around and find some excellent buys. Stalls offer a wide range of vintage items, including reprints of advertisement posters from the 1930s, old coins, embroidered slippers and copies of Mao's Little Red Book from the Cultural Revolution. Film directors, like Zhang Yimou, are said to have shopped here for props.

A few vendors, who sell high-value antiques, offer shipping of large-size purchases.

Address: Dongtai Road

Opening hours: 10 am-4 pm

Transportation: Bus No 911, Metro line 1

5) South Bund Fabric Market

As a nice change of style from the department stores and malls, this fabric market has a wide collection of cloth, including cashmere, silk, linen, wool and cotton. The shopkeepers there not only sell the fabrics, but can also tailor-make clothes. You have the option of coming up with the outfit you want made or allowing staff to recommend a style. You can create anything from designs in fashion magazines to traditional Chinese costumes, such as a qipao, at reasonable prices. Most of the vendors can speak a little English, but if you have something complicated to make, you might want to bring a Chinese friend along to help explain.

Address: 399 Lujiabang Road

Opening hours: 8:30 pm-5:30 pm

Transportation: Bus No 43, 65, 109, 910, Metro Line 4

6) Qipu Road Clothing Market

Located just a few steps behind the Nanjing Road shopping area, the market is the place for the city's fashion conscious on a budget. Locals also called it "Cheap Road", as the street name sounds similar to the word "cheap". It certainly lives up to its name as the clothes you find here can be had for lowest prices in the city, other than wholesaled directly from factories. Most small boutiques in Shanghai source their products from Qipu Road Clothing Market and resell it at a higher price after adding a brand-name label.

There are multi-story shopping malls on the intersections of Qipu Road selling clothes, shoes, bags, accessories and swimwear. The malls sell similar products, but the higher the floor, the better the quality of the clothes (and the more expensive). Bargaining is a must to get the best prices. Show minimal interest in the product you want and you can usually get it for around one-quarter of the original asking price.

Address: Qipu Road (near Henan Road N)

Opening hours: 7 am-5 pm

Transportation: Bus No 167, 14, 66, 929

7) Daning International Tea City

This is largest wholesale tea market in Shanghai. Although it targets local retailers, it also sells Chinese teas and tea settings to individual buyers. Located in a four-floor building, there are hundreds of small stores selling teas on the first level. The vendors here usually invite you to sit down and have a sip before you make a decision. On the second floor, a variety of traditional teapots, made of clay, glass and china, are for sale. Prices of different teas and settings can vary greatly and you'll need some experience in deciding quality.

Address: 1536 Gonghexin Road

Opening hours: 9 am-5 pm

Transportation: Bus No 46, 95, 916, 849, Metro line 1

8) Caojiadu Flower & Bird Fair

The largest flower market in eastern China has a huge range of flowers - both fresh and artificial - plants, birds, fish and all kinds of gardening tools. The flowers here are usually fresher and cheaper than those from the florists' shops in the city, and the storeowners can help with flower arranging if you ask.

Address: 1148 Changshou Road

Opening hours: 9 am-5 pm

Transportation: Bus No 136, 941, 54

(China Daily 06/11/2010 page40)