ekscrunchy

Thought I would start a thread in order to gather information on shopping in these two cities. I would like to know which items are considered excellent buys and which are better left on the table, so to speak. What are your favorite purchases from these two cities? Which markets are worth visiting?

I am not too interested in knock-off designer goods but open to anything else interesting!

What about having clothing tailored? Worthwhile, as in Thailand and Vietnam? Shall I think about having clothing copied, or bring photos? Any worthwhile tailors or markets to keep in mind for this? Great fabric sources?

Lacquerware and other handcrafted items?

Please...China shoppers weigh in with your ideas to help a befuddled first timer!!

Many, many thanks.

Shanghainese

Remember, unless BJ and SH are your last cities, traveling within China you can only check one free piece of luggage, only 2-50lb pieces when you depart China. Are you shopping for gifts for others or for yourself? How long are you staying in each city?

ekscrunchy

I will be in Beijing for almost a week and then take the train to Shanghai where I will stay about 6 days before flying back to Seoul.

I do not have to buy many gifts so, as selfish as it sounds, most of my shopping is for ME!

And so..Shanghainese..I think you know something about shopping..!!! Want to come with me in shanghai?

Shanghainese

EK: I'm flattered but I live in the US and not going to SH till fall. Sounds silly, tho I like shopping I'm really addicted to the food, the thought of SH fresh water crabs makes my heart pound.

In SH, the Old Temple market is worth browsing because of the wide array of local handicrafts and other items. I don't think the tailoring is better than Seoul or the other countries, unless you pay a lot. I had large cushion covers made inexpensively, no more clothes-making, not worth to lug them home. How about silk comforters? The quality is excellent.

SallyJ

Hi ekscrunch again!

Beijing shopping:

HONG QIAO MARKET ¡V I¡¦ve heard it called the Red Market or Pearl Market as well.

Hong Qiao Shichang 4318 4th in the Chongwen District near the Temple of Heaven
Open Hours: 8.30am-7pm daily. This strange 4 story building houses just about everything, and has several hundred vendors. It¡¦s one stop shopping for all the souvenir items you saw around (but at better prices), antiques, clothing, silk, luggage, jewelry, linens, paintings and watercolors (the list goes on and on). It¡¦s known for its pearl market, and a trusted friend gave me the name of a stall that sells pearls. It¡¦s on the fourth floor, and the woman¡¦s name is Xiao Bai at Fanghua Pearls and Jewels (telephone 010 671878888/67181616). She also has a great price on the lapis world globes. The top 2 floors didn¡¦t open until 10 am, and we didn¡¦t have time to wait, so I didn¡¦t get to the jewelry places.

Make sure you bargain hard. I noticed they would give me a price, and when I bought something, I usually paid half of what they were asking for. There are also so many vendors selling similar items, you can always go to another stall and try to get it for the price you would like to pay.

I bought several sets of 6 silk placemats, matching napkins, and chopsticks for $5.00 each. I saw a set in the U.S. for $30 so I thought I got a great deal. I also bought beautiful silk brocade tablecloths for $12 a piece. If I had more time, I could have spent more time bargaining down because I bought 5 at one stall. I bought beautiful silk covered photo albums for $4, which was great to put all my China photos in.

I bought several hand-painted watercolors of flowers for $3 a piece. When I had them framed at home, they really look wonderful.

I also bought antique hand carved wooden window decorations for $15. When I returned to the U.S., Gumps had similar ones in their catalog for $195 a piece! I wish I had bought more.

Sightseeing:
I was on a tour and was disappointed becase I assumed we would have a tour inside the rooms of the Forbidden Palace. We just got to walk around the exterior (which is pretty amazing!) I'm not sure if they have tours inside, but I was really bummed and wished I had done my homework.

Our trip was to Hong Kong, Beijing, Nanjing, and Xian. I loved China and will be going back some day.ƒ¼

ekscrunchy

You guys are great. Thank you. I am printing out all this information and any more that comes along.

Shanghainese..I think I will miss the crab season, right?

Sally, The antique window decorations would be right up my alley! I hope there is another pair hanging around someplace!

Shanghainese

Those crabs are only the best in fall.
Thanks Sally, I'm so rushed in BJ that I never made it to Hong Qiao. Another market south of Tienanmen Square is the Dazala near the duck restaurant if they haven't torn it down yet. It's in the hutongs with lots of old stores, worth spending an evening.

thursdaysd

ek - you might want to take a look at the Eyewitness Beijing and Shanghai as it has good sections on shopping. I'm not a shopper so I just skimmed those sections, but basically it says that anything purporting to be an antique is almost certainly fake, you should bargain very hard - start at 10% of the asking price - this is not a good place to buy electronics.

It does say that the Hong Qiao market in Beijing has "an odd range of clothing, souvenirs, and low quality (or fake) pearls".

jammoye2

I will be travelling to Beijing and Shanghai in August with my father. Is it easy and or inexpensive to ship items bought in these cities back to the U.S?

NZtravel

Dear Sally, et al,
Am planning a July tour of China & Tibet - has anyone heard of "travelchinaguide" - we are doing a tour with them. I think they are associated with Warrior Tours. WE are desperate to get feedback before outlaying our money incase they are an internet myth. Sally feedback was great we the shopping. Anyone willing to comment on the following place all feedback greatly appreciated. Beijing/Shanghai/Xian/Chengdu/ Lhasa with thanks.

petitepois

NZ- have you tried doing a search?

EK - Don't miss Panjiayuan, aka the Dirt Market, which I think is Beijing's best market. They sell all sorts of stuff -- carved chess sets, lacquerware, porcelain, minority textiles, "antiques," communist kitsch... and much, much more. It's best on weekends. Bargain fiercely and watch your wallet -- a friend just had her entire purse stolen there.

The Silk Market is for fakes. Liulichang could be good for curios if you miss the Dirt Market. Hong Qiao for fun, accessorizing jewelry (the vendors will swear up one way and down the other everything is "real" but I treat it all as costume jewelry).

ekscrunchy

Petitepois..that "dirt market" sounds right up my alley, so to speak!! Is that the same as the "Ghost Market," and if not, is that one also worthwhile? I am going with the idea that nothing I buy will be "antique" or "real" that takes a lot of stress out of shopping!

I will be in Beijing on the weekend; I am hoping to take the train to Shanghai on a Sunday night.

Your tips are wonderful...thank you!

ekscrunchy

Do you experts have any opinions about a shop named Hu & Hu Antiques on Wuzhong Lu in Shanghai ("not far from the Hong Qiao warehouse district")?

And what about silk comforters that I read so much about? Any hope that these are available in US King size? Good buys?

thursdaysd

No, but you're not thinking of them for real antiques, are you? Quote from Eyewitness: "There aren't any true antiques on sale in Shanghai, and if there were you'd need special permission to export them anyway. What there is, however, is lots of Mao-era memorabilia." I suspect that anything that escaped the Red Guards ended up in the museum.

petitepois

I don't know of a "ghost market," but there is no other market like Panjiayuan - it is an original! Locals call it Panjiayuan, expats call it the Dirt Market.

OJudy

Yes, ghost market and dirt market are one and the same.

bkkmei

hallo

In Shanghai, I really enjoyed Dongjiadu fabric market - loads of material stalls with tailors attached. Bring along your fave piece of clothing and they can copy it. Don't expect top quality but cheap and cheerful. Lots of fun. It's moved indoor nearby somewhere - google it for exact address.

In Beijing, yeah Panjiayuan was excellent.

ekscrunchy

So Dirt MArket is on the list...should I really try to get there at 6am?

I am going with the idea that nothing on offer is the "real thing." I don't care that much as long as it looks good and does not cost a lot. All those tales of fakes are really daunting!

nagiffag

SHANGHAI
Hu & Hu moved to No.8 Lane 1885 CaoBao Lu (last alley inside Outer Ring on north side.) I haven't been there since they moved and never purchased from them, but some friends bought a nice chest there. Hu&Hu buy old beat up things from the countryside and restore them. I'd never assume anything is an antique. I thought they were pretty expensive.

Dongjiadu fabric market was torn down maybe a year ago. Most of the vendors moved to 399 LuJiaBang road (near NanPu bridge). It hasn't as much character as the old one. Per my favorite tailor, fabric marked as Australian or Italian is actually made in China and "cashmere" is usually not cashmere. Feel it and buy it if you like it. I agree with PP to get things copied instead of making outright cuz even though they take every possible measurement, the garment won't necessarily fit - especially for women with western proportions. That said, a friend had a silk jacket made and it turned out to be fabulous and didn't require any alteration.

Some Shanghai shopping options visitors seem to like are:
- area around YuYuan Garden has lots of options. Lots of "antiques" and various unique things are sold at 459 Central Fangbang Lu which houses vendors on multiple floors.
- DongTai Lu "antique" market, near XiZhang Lu.
- HongQiao (Shanghai) Pearl City at corner of YanAn Lu/HongMei Lu for pearls and other beaded items, fakes, paintings, chopstick sets, the standard assortment of silk products including duvets - yes King size but take your required measurements in cm to be sure, and more. There's a lot of restaurants foreigners frequent down a lane almost directly across HongMei Lu.
- Fake market, of course. I haven't been to it since it was torn down last year. Keep in mind that most fakes are a waste of time.
- Art district at TaiKang Lu/SiNan Lu. across the street there's a local wet market to see as well.

Negotiations at many places will randomly start at 250 or 380 (which are basically insult words but common) regardless of item. Don't just cut the price in half and think you're getting a good deal. Consider that the monthly minimum wage was increased last year to RMB750 (~$100 USD), make a value assessment and bargain from there. If they won't speak to you, say "you say how much" and see if they seem to want to bargain or walk away and they'll either call you back or you know you went too low and you start higher when you see it at the next booth. Just don't get upset. It's all part of the game. There are old threads on ShanghaiExpat.com that talk about prices. Do a search or ask a question.

Have fun!

ekscrunchy

Nagiffag: Thank you so much for taking the time to write all of that information.

What a great idea to take the measurements of the bed along when shopping for silk comforters!

I will also think about bringing a few favorite things to have copied but don't expect much as far as the fabrics or the tailoring..who knows, though, right?