Shanghai: Where My Local Relatives Took Me
Tips and things to do:
- Visit the tailor market and get a custom made suite/dress/qipo. You can bring a picture of what you want or pick out a style from the displays or magazine they have.
- Buy a silk comforter. It’s the best thing (even better than down) you can own that will last a lifetime. Here’s why — silk is a protein and unlike down, which can get hotter and hotter, silk will keep you warm and the temperature will stablize so you can use it throughout the summer as well. It’s like hugging another person. Silk does not harbor odors, dust mites or allergens, and is resistant to mold and mildew. Once or twice a year you can hang the comforter under the sun and pad it lightly for cleaning. Do not wash. It can also be dry cleaned. I got mine through a relative (who knows someone) for about $150 RMB per pound of silk. I was told an average full/queen size comforter should have around 3 lbs.
- Shoes shoes shoes! Look for shoe factories IN the city. Just walk around the residential areas and check out the warehouses with proper signage. I accidentally came across a wholesale shoes warehouse and bought the cheapest quality shoes for about $10 USD a pair.
The equivalent of New York City for China, Shanghai boosts high-end and boutique shops, endless conventions, large expat gatherings, and really awesome tailor markets.
On the weekends my relatives enjoyed going to a nearby ancient town about an hour from Shanghai, called Zhujiajiao. The city is amazingly well preserved from when it was built 1,700 years ago.
Zhujiajiao is a water town on the outskirts of Shanghai.
Pig’s feet at Zhujiajiao (朱家角).
We spent most of the day there then headed back to The Bund area in Shanghai for dinner.
The Oriental Pearl Radio & TV Tower (东方明珠广播电视塔).