Shopping A-Z

Antiques & Furniture

The markets and bazaars are a primary source of antiques, collectibles, and Chinese furniture and furnishings, as are some hotel shops; but there are also several private antiques stores worth checking out. Most of the warehouses are situated in west Shanghai's Changning District, near the Hongqiao Airport (no Metro). If you plan to make a day of shopping, have your hotel haggle with the taxi driver over a price for the trip. Half a day's shopping should cost no more than ¥250 (about $36/£18).

Books

The Foreign Language Bookstore offers the widest range of English-language material, but hotel kiosks and shops also have decent English-language guides to Shanghai attractions and books about China. The Confucius Temple Book Market (Gushu Shichang), held every Sunday from 8am to 4pm at Wenmiao Lu 215 (east of Zhonghua Lu), traffics in secondhand and vintage books, including some foreign-language volumes.

Cameras and Film

Kodak, Fuji, and other imported camera films can be purchased all over Shanghai, at hotel kiosks, department stores, and camera shops. Prices are about on par with those in the West. There are 1-hour and next-day film processing outlets in hotels and shopping centers, too. You can certainly purchase new cameras and accessories in Shanghai, especially in the big malls like Grand Gateway Plaza in Xujiahui; prices are comparable to those in the West, perhaps slightly higher depending on the brand. Those looking for ancient Russian swing-lens cameras can sometimes find them in the Fuyou Antique Market.

Carpets

Check over carpets carefully, with an eye to faded colors. Colors should be bright and the threads fine. A 1.8mx2.4m (6 ft.x8 ft.) silk carpet, tightly woven (300-400 stitches/in.), can cost ¥50,000 ($7,143/£3,572) or more.

Clothing

A number of shops along Changle Lu and Maoming Lu sell ready-made qipaos (mandarin-collar dresses with high slits), Tang jackets, and other traditional Chinese-style clothing, and can also tailor the same.

Department Stores

Shanghai has a large number of new, Western-style department stores that have almost completely replaced the traditional (but shoddy) Chinese version. Most of them are joint ventures with overseas retailing chains.

Jewelry

The Pearls of China -- China's oyster beds remain among the world's most fertile grounds for pearls, of both the saltwater and freshwater variety. Seawater pearls are usually more expensive than the freshwater gems, but in both cases the qualities to look for are roundness, luster, and size. The bigger, rounder, and shinier the pearl, the better (and the more expensive). Here are a few ways to detect fakes, even if most shoppers don't bother:

• Nick the surface of the pearl with a sharp blade (the color should be uniform within and without)

• Rub the pearl along your teeth (you should hear a grating sound)

• Scrape the pearl on glass (real pearls leave a mark)

• Pass the pearl through a flame (fakes turn black, real pearls don't).

Try to pick a string of pearls that are of the same size, shape, and color. Here's a rough pricing guide, based on what's charged in Shanghai:

• ¥30 to ¥40 ($4.30-$5.70/£2.15-£2.85) for a string of small rice-shaped pearls.

• ¥40 to ¥60 ($5.70-$8.55/£2.85-£4.30) for a string of larger pearls of mixed or low luster.

• ¥60 to ¥130 ($8.55-$19/£4.30-£9.50) for a string of larger pearls of different colors.

• A string of very large, perfectly round pearls of the same color sells for considerably more, ¥10,000 to ¥20,000 ($1,429-$2,857/£715-£1,429) and higher.

Modern Art

The Chinese contemporary art scene has been thriving in Shanghai in the last few years, with galleries and showrooms cropping up all over town. Though contemporary Chinese artists are slowly gaining more international recognition, they are still relatively unknown and their works often sell below international prices, making them potential investments for those so inclined. And many tourists are increasingly inclined. The St. Regis Hotel has taken to offering "art tours" for their guests who are interested in visiting local galleries. Otherwise, Taikang Lu 210 in the southern part of the French Concession (Luwan District), Moganshan Lu 50 just south of the Suzhou Creek in the northern part of town (Putuo District), and the Shanghai Sculpture Space at Huaihai Xi Lu 570 are home to a series of industrial warehouses that have been converted to galleries and artists' studios, and are a must-visit if you like modern art and photography. Various former warehouses and factories along Suzhou Creek are also being converted into galleries such as Creek Art at Guangfu Lu 423. Check the local English-language magazines for listings.

Shopping Malls and Plazas

Shanghai has plenty of mammoth shopping plazas (consisting of scores of independent brand-name and designer-label outlets selling international merchandise under one roof), particularly along Huaihai Zhong Lu and at Xujiahui. At press time, several other locations around town were being converted to high-end lifestyle shopping and entertainment complexes such as The Cool Docks (Lao Matou) down by the river near the Old Shiliupu Wharf, and 1933 (1933 Lao Chang Fang; www.1933-shanghai.com) in Hongkou, on the grounds of a former abattoir, a stunning building well worth seeing.

Silk, Fabrics and Tailors

The South Bund Fabric Market, formerly Dongjiadu Fabric Market, is the best place to shop for a variety of inexpensive fabrics, though you'd have to bargain hard; tailors here also generally do yeoman's work in churning out suits, dresses, and other garments.

Supermarkets

Shanghai's hotels might have a small shop with some Western snacks and bottled water, or a deli stand, but for a broad range of familiar groceries, try one of the large-scale supermarkets listed here. There is also a well-stocked Park 'n Shop in the basement of Parkson's.