Chinese Buffet – Part 14: Shanghai Shopping

by Kelly Amabile on

Chinese Buffet is a month-long series that chronicles the travels of an American woman who visited China for the first time in July 2007.

Shopping can be an ego-boosting activity in China.

“Hello beautiful lady.”

“Welcome to my shop pretty lady.”

These were the typical greetings used by savvy shopkeepers to lure us into their stores. Obviously there were ulterior motives behind these random compliments, but I just chuckled along and enjoyed them. I wasn’t really interested in the wares they were trying to sell, but wanted to witness firsthand the “experience” of shopping in China.

I skipped the stalls in Beijing, having no motivation to tackle the markets on my own. I knew that when I got to Shanghai, my skilled shopper pal Beth would give me a crash course in the art of Chinese bargaining.

My first haggling practice took place at the Yu Garden Bazaar, after our dumpling lunch. Beth used several key Mandarin phrases to secure some good deals. With her help, I purchased a few souvenirs from among the thousands. There were fans, scrolls, chess sets, chopsticks, silk scarves, jade jewelry…on and on and on. After awhile, the stores all started to look the same.

The Fabric Market was much more interesting to me. With a little imagination here, the possibilities are endless:

Many folks who live abroad here for any considerable length of time wind up with a wardrobe of custom-made clothes – dresses, coats, suits. Beth explained that her family has been more than pleased with the quality and price of their purchases from the fabric market. So I gave it a try. I picked a silk and design from the samples at one booth, and was fitted for a dress. A few days later, I picked up my brand new Chinese qipao:

It needed to be altered slightly, so we had to go back again the next day to pick it up and pay the balance. The dress, plus a shirt I had made as well, cost me $71 total. Travelers who want custom clothes and have a few days to spare in Shanghai should visit here first, to allow ample time for items to be made and altered if necessary.

We also made several trips to one particular pearl shop within the Xiangyang Market, an underground shopping center near the Museum of Science and Technology subway station. (This is a new location for the market — an earlier outdoor version was shut down in 2006.) Amylin’s Pearls is a popular place to stock up on gems:

Again, the possibilities are endless — there are tons of stones to choose from, in all shapes and sizes, and they can be stranded together any which way you like. Since I rarely wear jewelry, it took a little convincing from Beth to get me excited about pearls — but I did order a few black pearl items. I spent about $40 and took home gifts for myself and others too. If they have the time, the gals at Amylin’s will make your jewelry while you wait – you can walk through the underground mall while they work, or you can watch them in action:

Beth’s favorite place to shop is the outdoor Dongtai Lu Antiques Market. It was mine too, but not because of what we purchased. The place was empty, quiet and full of stories to tell. Even in the brutal heat, I liked it here. If it hadn’t been so hot, I would have spent more time walking up and down the main corridor of booths. I’m sure there would have been more folks shopping if the weather had been cooler. But even then, Beth said that this market is usually pretty sedate. (No “beautiful lady” compliments here.) The best thing to do is peek down the side alleys while walking along the main shopping strip. See the stories lingering here?

The heat severely limited our time at Dongtai Lu, and it was obviously affecting sales for these merchants. We did a quick sweat walk through the stalls, purchasing some Chinese games, calligraphy brush holders and ink seals from this kind gentleman, who said we were his first sale in three days:

I was wiped when we were finished. As a self-proclaimed non-shopper, I had reached my limit. All the “pretty lady” compliments in the world would not have kept me going much longer.

But I’m grateful that Beth pushed me through the Chinese shopping experience. I would have never had a custom dress and matching jewelry made in China if it weren’t for her. I’m glad to have these personalized souvenirs to take home with me. And I’m very glad the shopping spree is officially over.

Missoula, Montana: A Great Family Destination

by Jamie Rhein on

In the midst of time we spend in Philipsburg, Montana every year, we make sure we have a day or two designated for Missoula. This year we spent more time then planned because of fires elsewhere. No matter. It’s a perfect place for families with multiple ages and interests. We’ve done most of what there is to do over our years of visiting.

This is a town where you can hook up with an outdoor company for float or a rafting trips of the Clark Fork or Big Blackfoot Rivers, visit Fort Missoula established in 1877 and now a museum, and ride on the Carousel for MIssoula with a wooden dragon that has a plastic sleeve with rings in it coming out of its mouth. Riders who score an outside horse attempt to grab the rings each time they go by until the last one is gone. The last ring is a golden. Whoever gets it gets a free ride. I tried this yesterday, and grabbing those rings is easier than it looks.

The carousel itself is stunning in the artistry of its horses and it goes a bit faster than most-often there are as many adults on it as kids. I wasn’t the only one. Adjacent is Dragon Hollow, a wonderous playground with outdoor musical instruments and art tiles as part of the play structure.

Another thing we’ve done a couple of times is hike up to the large white M above the University of Montana’s campus. The switchbacks make the climb not so dreadful and the view is wonderful. The town is filled with events year-round and downtown Missoula has some terrific stores for browsing. Made in Montana goods are easy to find and no matter where you shop, there’s no sales tax.

The best store, though is Rockin’ Rudy’s. There is a medley of stuff from Made in Montana goods like huckleberry jelly and candy to politically incorrect gee gaws that make fun of politicians (before the last election both George Bush Jr. and John Kerry were equally parodied in card games, chewing gum and bobble-head type stuff), great jewelry, music and videos, joke shop items, luscious smelling soaps, clothing and racks and racks of greeting cards. You really have to go there to understand the beauty in its bounty.

Here’s the “2007 Best of Missoula” article that lists what folks in Missoula like about their town. It gives me some ideas of where else to head the next time.

A Canadian in Beijing: My Last Day in China

by Ember Swift on

What did I do on my last day in China?

I bought chopsticks.

What can you do in the face of reality? The reality was that I was leaving and the response was to soothe the pain of that reality with retail therapy. And, sad as it sounds, it worked. What’s more, I took home gifts for my loved ones and that felt good. It felt like a bridge between Beijing and Canada somehow.

I guess you could say that I relented and loosened my grip on my desire to be “a local” and promised that desire that I’d revisit it in the future.

Many different markets had been tested in advance of their arrival. I went to The Pearl Markets, the Silk Markets (each offering much more than pearls and silk), the YaXiu Markets and, of course, to the Wudaokou Markets (several times) in search of the cheapest options and best environment for them. . .
My friend Rui suggested the Wholesale Clothing Markets by the Zoo. I had never been there and so we all decided that a new experience for everyone was due. They are geared to Chinese shoppers as opposed to tourists and we were the only foreign faces that I noticed there. With our translating skills, my family was alright, but without any Chinese knowledge these markets would be extremely difficult for a foreign traveller. While they proved to be super cheap, the sizes were also limited, especially for my sister’s fiancé, Steve, who wears size 12 shoe and is over six-feet tall. They also closed early (and I found out that they open at six a.m.!) and so we piled into a cab and headed for more shopping options.

I suggested against the Silk Markets, which I had found to be far too pricey. Even the sign that showed a happy white family turned me off. I mean, how better to tell the tourists that they’re about to get ripped off than to show them smiling pictures of white people pretending they don’t know any better!

The presence of credit card stickers above stalls also proved that these prices were out of control; if they’re willing to accept international credit cards within the stalls themselves, then they had definitely inflated their prices. In fact, I found a shirt there that I had bought at the Wudaokou Market for 30 kuai that was listed at 280 kuai. Just ridiculous. The exact same shirt!

These kinds of “foreigner price inflations” are insulting. In fact, I think “indignant” would be the word I’d use to describe my response. I just couldn’t imagine bringing them there and luckily they were fine with that.

We headed then to Wudaokou first where they found a few things but weren’t quite satisfied. There was still the issue of an impossible task in finding shoes to fit Steve’s feet. Many vendors actually laughed when we told them we were looking for a size 49 or 50 (in Chinese sizes.)

So, we hit the Pearl Markets, this proving to be the most successful location for my sister and Steve. Not only were they able to get the souvenirs they wanted, but also several people could speak to them in English and they were able to operate without me as their sidekick the whole time. They found clothes that fit and had already become quite skilled at bargaining by this point. They came away smiling and laden with clothes and gifts and shoes and knickknacks. It was a successful mission.

The Pearl Markets were probably the best choice for lots of reasons. Not only were the prices better and less insulting, but the environment just outside of the markets was very western with a café (that looked suspiciously like a Starbucks knockoff) equipped with outdoor seating and tables with sun umbrellas. It’s the kind of décor that I rarely see in China and see everywhere in North America.

My sister and Steve wanted to hang out here for awhile and I can see why: it’s familiar. So, for the first time in three months I had an afternoon beer in the hot sun while shaded by the patio umbrellas. I could easily have been in Toronto in that activity. The rest of the seats were all sat in by non-Chinese shoppers. Whoever had thought of this café here was thinking about the tourists, that’s for sure.

Besides, it was good to rest now that the list had been (mostly) crossed off. Everyone was smiling.

I have to admit, though, that I was also peaking about leaving. Smiling on the outside and crying on the inside. Sound dramatic? Yeah, that’s me. Hidden drama at the best of times.

We headed back to the hotel then to get ready for dinner. I put them up (and also stayed) at the Beijing Friendship Hotel. This hotel is one of the oldest in Beijing and used to be the only place where foreigners were allowed to stay in Beijing. Since then, this has changed, but this hotel still holds its grandeur and scope. It is a huge site with several different buildings.

Staying in a hotel at the end of my trip really did solidify the feeling of being a tourist once again. I know that China is not my home, but it had begun to feel that way before I moved into the hotel for four nights. I really hope to regain that feeling in the future – that feeling of China being home – but it wasn’t meant to last this time around.

When we headed for the airport the next day, the drop in my gut seemed like an endless black hole. I kept gulping back tears and nausea and just tried to keep breathing the reality of my leaving in, as though it was a necessary medicine and that I would recover. Recover from the pain of separating from this amazing country, yes, and also recover from the intensity of this tourist marathon.

I’m still working on both recoveries.

I know that I will return to China. I will go back sooner than later, I believe. I just can’t stay away. My language skills were just starting to feel smooth, just starting to whisper the potential of future fluency.

I will definitely return.

Wo ken ding zai lai 我肯定再来。

China, I miss you already.

A Canadian in Beijing: Dancing the Bargaining Dance

by Ember Swift on

I have tried my best not to spend too much time at the markets here in Beijing. It’s easy to do. They’re addictive. I think it’s the action combined with the colours and the diversity of people you can see there. Not to mention the fact that “things” are so cheap here (by Canadian standards) that it’s hard not to get excited when you find a gift for a friend that costs a fraction of what it would back home.

And let’s not forget the bargaining.

One of my friends on campus, Daisy, is an expert bargainer. She is from France and she is just starting to learn Chinese. After only two months here studying the language, she has mastered most of the bargaining lingo and she chats easily with the shopkeepers in a dance that I find highly entertaining. Watching Daisy bargain is like watching a stage show by an expert choreographer. It’s not just her words but also her facial expressions – the disdain, the disgust, the surprise – and then her exaggerated body language that communicates a complete and utter disregard for the item in question no matter how much she would like to purchase it.

It’s awesome.The first time I went shopping with Daisy, I felt as though I should apprentice with her when it comes to bargaining; she is the master and I am the student and I watched her technique closely for subtlety and style. She has a gift.

Here in Beijing, there are several kinds of large shopping complexes. So far, I have experienced the “Yaxiu” markets down near Sanlitun area (very geared towards tourists) as well as the Wudaokou Fuzhuan markets which are here near my school. Both markets were vast and carry stall upon stall of stuff, stuff, stuff. Both feature overpriced clothing to start with that can be bargained down to a reasonable compromise after engaging in the dance. Both are exhausting, in that enjoyable kind of way.

Yaxiu markets is a huge building with several floors. Each floor has its own character. There are floors that feature only accessories like belts and purses, another for children’s wear, another for adult clothing, another for silks and materials, etc. We only spent time on three different floors before we left again, but I managed to bargain myself into two new t-shirts and a pair of jeans – with pant legs mercifully long enough for my tall self.

We noticed the presence of lots of foreigners at Ya Xiu and the obvious mark-up on the clothing as a result. As soon as a shopkeeper saw us, I felt sure that the price doubled thanks to our appearance. Clothing that I’d seen in the Wudaokou markets for just fifty or sixty kuai was suddenly being quoted at two-hundred kuai here. A standard response of ours was “tai gui!” (too expensive!) which was always responded to with “wo gei ni pianyi yidiar” (I’ll give it to you cheaper!)

Well, of course they will – otherwise, where’s the dance?

Daisy came away with several bags worth of skirts, shirts and shoes. I asked her how she was going to be able to send all these clothes back to France with her and she said that she probably wouldn’t send them home. “They wear out too quickly anyway,” she said, “They’ll probably break before I need to go home!”

And herein lies the problem:

When I first arrived and was asking about markets, my friend Traci said this to me: “The great thing about China is that the clothing is cheap.” Then she paused for a moment and followed that up with, “But the bad thing about China is that the clothing is cheap.” I laughed at these double meanings, but it’s so true. These clothes aren’t made to last, to be sure, and Daisy’s approach is one of many.

For me, I have been trying to avoid these markets because I can easily get sucked into the incredible discounts and the fun clothes. I don’t want to contribute to all this consumerism, but I’m as susceptible as the next person. What I know to be true is that the more I buy here, the more will be made and the more this cycle (and production) of disposable goods will be fuelled. I have already had to sew a tank top I bought a few weeks ago because the stitching came undone at the seams. I’m working on a moderation theory. I’ll let you know how it goes!

The Wudaokou markets are more casual than Yaxiu. Fewer tourists and lower prices to start with, narrower passageways, and just as much stuff. There are also food stalls, manicure booths, stationary stalls and I even saw a whole stall devoted to custom sticker making. Outside, there are merchants selling goods out of the backs of their cars. It’s a circus and I love it. I stand in the midst of the chaos and smile.

Then, I turn and see Daisy in the midst of another choreographed bargaining scene and I take a look at what she’s after. She’s handing a pair of shoes back to the shopkeeper gruffly and she’s at the point where she is not only poised to leave but actually walking away, flippant and irritated. This is the “piece de resistance” because it generally gets her the price she wants. The shopkeeper will fear losing the sale and concede to her final offer by calling her back as though this amount is her name. Today was no exception. Money was exchanged, the shoes went into a bag and the bag went into her hand.

I saw a smile flash in her eyes but she kept her cool and showed no reaction in front of the merchant.

She’s my new shopping hero.

Pictured from left to right are David (Canada), Daisy (the shopping hero from France!), Daniel (South Africa) and Tobias (Switzerland). These are some of my dorm friends here at Beijing Language and Culture University.

Photo of the Day (5/23/07)

by Adrienne Wilson on


Don’t know if the boots in this here picture were made for walkin’, but they sure are pretty nice looking. I’d wear a pair to a square-dance in a heart-beat, but then I’d need someone to show me the moves. Marni Rachel caught sight of the shoes while in Texas sometime earlier this month and I suppose she felt it a fine time to mosey on into the Gadling Flickr pool to share it with all of us. Again, good work Marni!