Shanghai residents regard themselves as the most modern and shopping crazy of all Chinese people. And a modern city like Shanghai is in no way lagged behind the big cities in Europe when it comes to shopping areas. The top brands such as Louis Vuitton, Gucci and Nike are as expensive in China as elsewhere. But there is a solution for those who do not care too much about the quality – fake products are of course cheap.
Good shopping malls in Shanghai
Chinese domestic products, whether clothing or anything else, keep good quality and nice design, and the prices are far lower than for European and American products. The major shopping streets are Nanjing Lu and Huaihai Lu. Here you will find all of the shops and shopping centers. The most famous shopping center is Hualian department store in Nanjing Donglu Street. The center is known for its many products in the lower price categories. Another famous mall is No 1 department store. This also has products at low prices. If you want to be shopping in the high-end market, you will find opportunities in a street called Nanjing Xi Lu. Plaza 66 is one of the most famous shopping centers in the whole China and hosts a lot of great brands popular in Europe and America. The biggest shopping center in Shanghai is called Super Brand Mall and can be found in Zhengda Guangchang in the Pudong side of the river. It is located underneath the TV Tower, which makes it easy to find for any tourist or expat in Shanghai.
Silk and porcelain
Silk and porcelain are two Chinese specialties. High quality porcelain can be purchased at the Shanghai Museum. It’s easy to be scammed in souvenir shops in different parts of town, which makes the museum shop a good choice. You will find high quality products at reasonable prices in the certified museum shop. You can buy silk on the silk market in Dong Jia Du Lu (Dong Jia Du silk market). The market is located in Nan-Shi district and is not easy to find, so we would suggest that you take a taxi. There are many providers on the silk market and you will find all kinds of silk products. Another place you can buy silk is on “the Silk King Market” in Tian Ping Lu, the French Concession area.
This market is more efficient and modern than Dong Jia Du-market. It is opened twelve hours a day, from 0900-2100. Antiques and souvenirs in Shanghai There are many shops selling Chinese souvenirs around Shanghai. We recommend calligraphy posters and teapots as souvenirs. Visit the “Old Town “(Chinatown), where there are many providers of these types of products. Not many expats in Shanghai lives in this part of the area, which means “Chinatown” might be an unexplored area for most foreigners.
But we really recommend a trip here to buy some souvenirs and explore “the real Shanghai”. There is an antiques market in the street Fang Bang Zhonglu in the old town, where there is a lot of (primarily Chinese) people on Sundays. The market is called Fuyou Antique Market. A more expensive option is Shanghai Antique & Curio Store in street Guangdong Lu. This is a custom made tourist trap with lots of antiques and souvenirs – we would really not recommend this market for expats trying to do some shopping in Shanghai.
