Shanghai Antique Street
Zhende 真的 or Jiade 假的 - You be the Judge
Liuhekou Road
(South of Huaihai Rd. by Xizang Rd.)
Phone: (021) 6266-3668
Hours: 8:30 - 5:30 Daily
Admission: Free to shop but bargain hard when purchasing!
Nearest Public Transit: Huangpi Nan Rd. Station, Line 1 or Laoximen Station on Line 8
Most of Shanghai's old markets are gone, or converted to modern wares: clothing, watches, handbags and gadgets. But this long-running street bazaar specializing in psuedo-antiques (mostly fake), crafts and traditional trinkets still abounds with atmosphere: men arguing over games of cards, women gossiping amidst the constant clatter of mahjong tiles, down dusty lanes strewn with cages of singing birds and laundry drying on bamboo poles.
During the rule of emperor Guang Xu in the Qing Dynasty (1875-1908), Hui Gen, an abbot from Mount Putuo went on a pilgrimage to Tibet via the two famous Chinese mountains Mount Wutai and Mount Emei. After visiting Tibet, he travelled on to Burma. While there, Mr. Chen Jun-Pu, an overseas Chinese resident in Burma, donated five Jade statues of Buddha to Hui Gen, who transported two of them back to Shanghai. Here Hui Gen had a temple built with donated funds. The temple was occupied during the 1911 uprising, and the statues were moved.
Best Time: Late afternoon, when tired vendors may drop prices. Crowds can be heavier, but more vendors tend to be out on weekends.
Best Dealers: Few vendors speak much English (bargaining is mostly by pointing and calculator) but among those with some language skills and good stock are:
Da Feng Tang Antiques - 44 Dongtai Rd: chock-a-block with old Chinese dishes, vases and wooden jewelry boxes
Yu Fi Fang Art - 62 Dontai Road: a great place to browse or buy historical photos of Shanghai
Chu Ming Meng - 39 Liu He Kou: embroidery and batik from China's ethnic minorities and a huge variety of tiny shoes once worn by women with bound feet - or new shoes in that style.
How to Pay: Cash is preferred, but some vendors will take credit cards.
How to Bargain: Cut the price in half, then half again. Expect to bargain ruthlessly; haggling can take hours. Antique buyers should be extremely cautious as almost everything is a copy.
Don't Miss: Cai Min Jia (9 Liu He Kou Road), a stall filled with clocks and watches, including old pendulum clocks from Japan and Europe. In front is another stand (no number) with a huge collection of Mao and Cultural revolution mementos. Many stalls offer Red Army badges and well-worn copies of Chairman Mao's "Little Red Book" once carried by every cadre in China.
Getting it Back Home: Only a few vendors, mainly those selling alleged antiques, will help with shipping. But there are post offices throughout the city as well as Fed-Ex and DHL for pricier delivery. Your hotel concierge can often also help you ship items home.
Slightly over two football fields long, the street is lined with more than 125 small shops selling a mind-boggling variety of items. The main products are China wares, bronze wares, jade pieces, bamboo and wood carvings, calligraphy, paintings, badges, Chairman Mao memorabilia ancient ink, paper, brush pen and inkslabs. The place remains as one of the most popular markets for expats and locals alike. The main thing to remember is that almost all the items are not genuine. The fun of the place is not in finding a real antique, but seeing all of the interesting items and the haggling experience. Haggle hard if you want to purchase something - never pay more than 50% the asking price!
The Market is located on the edge of the old city and is within walking distance of Xintiandi, Yu Garden and the new #8 subway line! Make sure to take some time and walk around the neighborhood. It's one of the oldest and most picturesque parts of the city and not to be missed.
