Philip

My wife and I will be in Shanghai this March for only one full day. Since we enjoy shopping for antiques, we are excited about the day. We will want to do 2 days in one and think that a guide will help ~ help with Chinese and bargaining.

Does anybody know the name of and how to contact a guide?

Thanks!

Peter N-H

Certainly a guide can help with Chinese, but you should be cautious with assumptions that a guide will help with bargaining. Cheating foreigners is commonplace, and guides who seem quite delightful and utterly charming will nevertheless supplement their incomes significantly by taking kick-backs of at least 20% from souvenir shops, stallholders, etc. Sometimes this is a personal initiative, and at others the result of an arrangement between the company for which they work and particular shops or stalls.

Overcharging foreigners is thought by many to be quite reasonable behaviour. Usually it needs no further rationalisation, but if necessary it's pointed out that you are rich, and so deserve to be fleeced. Occasionally the behaviour of foreign powers in the 19th and early 20th century will be cited, but the events of that period are little understood, and this is just an excuse.

It seems to be a commonplace myth of contemporary travel that the first price quoted is two to three times the 'proper' price (that which a local would pay), but in markets frequented by foreigners, the first price is often TEN to FIFTEEN times the 'proper' price. It is extremely rare on this site to see anyone quote a price for something they bought which even remotely approaches the price they should have paid.

Also the manufacturing of fake antiques is a full scale industry in China, and there is very little genuine material available. There is probably more Song dynasty porcelain on sale now then ever existed at the time. In short, sad to say, unless you have considerable expertise, China is not the right place for this kind of shopping. If you must do it, then visit reputable dealers at home, closely examine what they have.

Peter Neville-Hadley
http://members.axion.net/~pnh/China.html

Chris

I went to Shanghai and used an excellent tour guide from CITS (china's national tour co.) that became my friend and pen-pal.

The tour guide game me an excellent tour of Shanghai's attractions and Shopping.

Her name is Sara Ren and you can email her at [email protected]

Good luck and have fun!

steven

What does a good guide cost for the day?
Half day? Ettiquette, tipping, other things to be aware of if hiring someone?

Patty

I just wanted to add that a guide is not necessary for bargaining. In most of the places where you can bargain, the shopkeepers will produce a calculator which you can pass back & forth until you agree on a price (or bring one along). Guides can sometimes be reluctant to bargain on your behalf.

Secondly, don't let Peter scare you away from buying anything at all (no offense Peter, JMHO). Decide what the item is worth to you. Yes, you will probably over pay at one point or another, but as long as the item is not outrageously priced, try not to focus all your attention on worring about being "fleeced". That will take all the joy out of shopping. I've bought several moderately priced antique items in China and have them all over my home. Every time I glance at one, I'm glad I purchased it. Buy it so you can enjoy it, not for any potential resale value that it may or may not have. Just my 2 cents.

Kay

I hadn't checked this board for awhile, so I'm late. The guide we had 2 years ago and would recommend highly is Eric Zhang with e-mail at Shanghai Airline Tours, Inc. [email protected]

Philip

Kay,

Thanks. We are leaving for China this Sunday and I e-mailed and retained Eric for Shanghai. Cost US$50/full day/early evening (no car).

I will post impressions of Shanghai guide and the guide we are having in Beijing.

Philip

Philip

Thanks for assistance.

We just returned from China this week and did use Eric Zhang as our guide in Shanghai. We were very pleased with Eric. His English is excellent (been guide for 14 years and spent 2 years in Australia). We used taxi cabs and they ran about $1.50 per segment. He was in lobby promptly at 8am and we had a beer with him about 6pm. He was excited that we paid him in $2 dollar bills (rarely seen in China). Eric can be reached by e-mail directly at: [email protected]

Thanks again.

Kay

So glad to be of help. You should have had him accompany you to the airport. We left the first day the new aiport opened. He had us there early before the ticket counter opened. By the time the agents appeared a large line was forming and he found out the computers were down and they were having to write out tickets, baggage claims, everything by hand. Magically he and our baggage were about fifth in line and we were checked in within 5 minutes.

Philip

Kay,

That sounds like Eric. Good story.

Actually, the trip to airport was include in package. We discussed with Eric but did not seem to make alot of sense. I will contact Eric if we go again and recommend him to anybody heading for Shanghai.

Thanks again.

Hadas

I suppose you saw this post, Hadas?