Markets: Flowers and Fabrics

January 1, 2012

I have talked about the Flower Market and about the Fabric Market, but a few pictures can speak volumes… so I am sharing the pictures I managed to remember to take.

You will notice that everyone is bundled up in the building.  No public spaces are heated.  And rarely are the stores in the markets heated either.  So in the winter time you get out of the wind, but you are still in the cold when you get into markets.  In the malls, individual stores usually have heat, but halls, and public areas typically don’t.

The water in the bathrooms usually is not heated either.  Try washing your hands in freezing cold water that numbs your hands!  It is crazy… always have wet wipes so that I do not have to endure the cold water.

 

HongQiao Flower Market

My friends, Joan and Jenny, and I went to the HongQiao Flower Market.  The Flower Market is actually way more than just flowers.  As you can see by the first snap… lots of dishes.  That was just one of many stores that was crammed full of kitchen pottery and dishes…most were seconds, and pieces of sets… but fun none the less. 

As you can see from the pictures… home décor, Christmas decorations, antiques… a little of this and a little of that!

The trip ended with my Christmas table piece purchase and some Christmas trays… I spent all totaled… around $30.00 USD.

South Bund Soft Spinning Material Market

The next sets of pictures were taken at the Fabric Market.  This was just one of the buildings that are in the cluster of Fabric Market buildings under the Nanpu Bridge.

The interesting thing about the market here is that the items you see in each shop is what they specialize in making.  You do much better if you find something that is hanging on display to have made in your size because they know how to make them.

Some shops specialize in silks… some in leathers… some jeans… some men’s jackets… some blouses in this style and some another… it is pretty overwhelming trying to determine what you want and who seems to do the best work.

After I left the Fabric Market, I headed to the Commodities Market at YuYuan Gardens.  I went there looking for jewelry to match an outfit I was having made, but while looking for the particular place I remembered, I ran into this booth.  I could not resist some of the beads so I took a few pictures to illustrate … this was just one place… but there are row after row of similar booths.

That is the end of the tour of the markets… I hope that gives you a bit insight to just three of the hundreds of markets all over the city.  If I went to a market every day I am in Shanghai, I would not hit them all. 

Even though one must get in the right frame of mind to endure the chaos that is market shopping, when you are there it is so much fun to meet the various vendors.  Some are intrigued and want to chat and find out about you while others will barely look up from the iPhone where they are texting or playing games.  The reactions run the full gambit.  But regardless of the reception one receives, the overall experience is a great way to spend the day with friends.