The Old City of Shanghai and Its Markets

Originally posted 9th February 2015

It’s a while since Richard and I wandered around the Old City. We were following a route in one of my tourist guides, which took us quite quickly away from the crowds of the famous Yuyuan Gardens, which I have yet to visit, and down the small backstreets of the city.

 

The people of the old city live their lives out on these lanes - a pair of grannies looked after their grandson, washing was hung out to dry and with many houses having their sinks in the street, much of their domestic lives was on show. It was an untidy, busy and very much alive place. This is traditional Chinese life. There is not much left of it in this rapidly modernising city.

Our tour sent us to the Fuyou Antiques Market, near the pailou or paifang, which marks the entrance to a local community – there is one at the entrance to London’s China town for example. I’m not sure how many antiques in the four-floored market were genuine, but it didn’t matter. It was interesting to wander around. There were old teapots made of china, brass and silver, brass figures – we particularly liked the dragons - turquoise stones and furniture amongst the piles of things for sale.

Outside in the streets there was a shop selling blue and white fabrics that looked Japanese to me, but I think they were locally printed, and more teapot shops.

We went on via the Temple of the Town God (more another time) to the Shiliupu Fabric Market. On our way someone was expertly playing with a drone, making it flip over as it flew and bringing it down to land in front of a dog, which didn’t quite know what to make of it.

At the entrance to the fabric market a man was selling fur hats and as we got closer we realised that the fur he was also selling was that of a Chow Chow. I don’t normally have a problem with fur, I see it to be much like leather. But it was upsetting to see the fur of man’s best friend on sale in the street. There are things I have seen, and this was one of them, that are just too upsetting to photograph.

 Inside the fabric market were three floors of, yes, fabric. Rolls and rolls of the stuff, silk, wool you name it, and made-up garments showing you the type of clothes that they could make – dress, jackets, mens shirts, suits whatever you fancied. I’ll definitely be going back.