Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The streets around the Bund also harbour some gems among the showier boutiques.
Check out Suzhou Cobblers (Room 101, 17 Fuzhou Road) for a pair of handcrafted silk slip-
pers, Blue China White (Room 103, 17 Fuzhou Road) offering hand-painted Jingdezhen por-
celain tableware, Song Fang Maison de The (19 Fuzhou Road) for fine teas in funky tins dec-
orated with Mao-era propaganda art and Annabel Lee Shanghai (No. 1, Lane 8 Zhongshan
East Road) for its gorgeous selection of lush silk accessories.
Across the river in Pudong, the sparkling IFC Mall (8 Century Avenue) is one of the city's
best, and is home to an excellent food court and supermarket in the basement. Directly op-
posite, Superbrand Mall (168 Lujiazui Road W) is one of Asia's largest retail complexes, fea-
turing a staggering 13 storeys of high-street labels, plus an Egyptian-themed cineplex and an
ice-skating rink.
Art and antiques
The M50 art district at 50 Moganshan Road beside Suzhou Creek is the place to pick up a
piece of contemporary Chinese art from the myriad galleries and artists' workshops. Van-
guard Gallery (Bldg 4;
www.vanguardgallery.com
)
, OV Gallery (Room 207;
www.ovgallery.com
)
and ShanghART (Building 16;
www.shanghartgallery.com
)
come recom-
mended.
Dongtai Road Antique Market, close to the Old City, is a street market lined with outdoor
hawkers selling fun repro-antique trinkets and 'Mao-morabilia' that make great souvenirs. Be
prepared to haggle. For genuine Art Deco antiques, duck into the established stores set back
from the street.
Shanghai is close to China's freshwater pearling areas, and you can pick up well-priced
pearls, and have them strung, at Hongqiao Pearl City (3721 Hongmei Road). Porcelain and
other wares can be purchased at the Shanghai Jingdezhen Porcelain Store (212 Shanxi
Road N), while tea and Yixing pots are plentiful at the Shanghai Huangshan Tea Company
(605 Huaihai Road C).
Custom-made clothing
Custom tailor shops abound in Shanghai. One of the best - with top-drawer prices to match
- is the French Tailor (7 Dongping Road; tel: 5465 2468). Equally fine threads can be had
from Dave's Custom Tailoring (No.6, Lane 288 Wuyuan Road; tel: 5404 0001).
At the cheap and cheerful end of the spectrum is the South Bund Fabric Market (399
Lujiabang Road), a three-storey warren of small stores selling bolts of material in every
guise. Tailors stand ready with scissors and thread once you've made your choice and can
whip up custom-fit copies of your own clothing or of one of their designs in as little as 24
hours.
