YuYuan Commodities Market

First Visit – November 4, 2011 – But certainly not the last…

My friend, Jenny and I had planned to get together and she suggested the Commodities Market.  When she mentioned this… my first thought is hanging meat or something more unpleasant.  But she quickly changed that mental image to something way more awesome! 

We would be going to the YuYuan Gardens Commodities Market.  She quickly explained it was NOT the tourist trap in the ancient buildings, but rather a series of buildings, more like warehouses, that are behind the tourist area.   Sounded like an adventure so I was all in!!!

She took me to the Thai place that I mentioned in a previous post.  Today was going to be a day of firsts.  So after enjoying my first introduction to Thai cuisine, we made a quick stop to let a friend’s dogs out. 

Now for the second ‘first’ in Shanghai… the ferry across the Huangpu River.  It takes longer to wait on it than to get across the river.  I do have a few river shots.

The barges are running constantly up and down the river.

This was just a tad too close for my comfort.  We missed each other by only a couple of feet…

As we pull up to the Ferry landing the motor bikes prepare for the mass exodus!  The ferries are for people, bicycles, and motor bikes.  I was told the main bridges do not allow bicycles, and motor bikes, so this is their main method to get between Puxi and Pudong.  And as on the street, people are low man on the ladder.  You must watch for them even on the ferry to avoid getting run over.  I learned that the hard way… I was moving a little too slow and a woman on a motor bike missed me by only a hair.  I actually yelped in fear!  But that is the way it is in Shanghai!

Now… for this third and final ‘first’ … the commodities market.  We snaked our way down streets looking for our ultimate destination.  We went down one alley that was lined one after another with buttons, laces, ribbons, and every kind of sewing accessories one might want or need.  Clearly a seamstress’s heaven!

I will wrap up all the visits into one post as… the first visit I was like a kid in a candy store…completely forgot to take pictures.  The second visit was so late and rainy that people were closing up shops and calling it a day.  The third visit was more like the first time as it was hustling and bustling with people and all the shops were hopping.  Now I call them shops, but for the most part once you are in the warehouses, there are just spaces that have temporary walls.  The vendors must lease by the square meter.  Some are so small one looks only from the outside… or it is a tiny one person space inside… or it is rather large and filled to the brim where customers stand elbow to elbow to see the wares. 

I described it on a Facebook post as Canton right before Christmas but on steroids!  Pretty accurate description, but it is that way almost every time you go.  Let me see if I can describe the merchandise available.  We went into one section that was all about hair and beauty… bows, head bands, hair pieces, nail polishes and nail stuff, anything and everything.

Anyone need a hair bow???  And this was just one section of the hair bows… and only one store. This was actually a really big place.  There were 4 aisles just like this one with various hair accessories.

The day it rained I got a picture of one of the side streets.  Christmas decorations are big here... recognizing any of the stuff you’ve seen at WalMart or Target or maybe Michael’s?  I am fairly confident it was made here.

This picture was the second visit when the rain basically ruined our outing to the market.  Big disappointment! 

But here are a few pictures of the river.

However, the last visits have been somewhat hurried as we were looking for items for the Giving Tree bags we were filling.  Now that has been fun.  We found another market that is nothing but shoes.  It was an entire warehouse, actually several, with floors and floors of shoes…makes DSW look pale in comparison.  But I digress… back to the commodities market.

Here are a few pictures from the Giving Tree Outing.  This is the outside of the warehouses on the street.

The smiling woman in the navy outfit is Lin Swinston.  She and I did the shopping.  She is originally from Beijing and is married to an American from Philly.  She is so much fun and had never been to this market.  We have vowed to come back together. 

And maybe just for grins... a pic of me.

This is the vendor that we negotiated the best price for the gloves.  Everything you buy in these markets requires serious bargaining and negotiations.  You just learn to expect that the price you are quoted is inflated some 80%... particularly if you are western and look like a tourist.

If you can think of it, you can find it in the series of markets that are all connected by alleys.  Some have mostly clothing and accessories, some are mostly jewelry, some are all beads and stuff for making jewelry, some are toys and such, some are linens and décor stuff, some are glass and glass products, some are junk and a little of this and a little of that.  It is overwhelming and exciting at the same time.

But one thing I have discovered, the markets are the place to go for just about anything you want because the malls are outrageously expensive… unless you are looking for designer stuff it is best to avoid the malls.  But if you want something that looks like designer, but is a fabulous fake… I know just the market to go to!!

The markets are just one of the adventures that await the brave at heart!  They are always  fun and no matter how many times you go there is always something new to see.  Guaranteed way to pass the day away and save you loads of RMB!

P.S.  12/7/2011 - I went to the market again today… needed to get the last (hopefully) of the items needed to finish the Giving Tree bags.  Once again… what a terrific time!!  My friend, Lin, and I spent the day tracking down what we needed to finish the bags and even managed to find a few things for ourselves!!