Chrismas for many people is a time for shopping. What kind of gifts are you going to buy for close family members and friends? What's your plan for the household decoration and Christmas dinner? Do you need something different this year? We are going to guide you on a shopping tour in the city right now. Let's have a look in Yuyuan Garden, Maoming Nanlu, Shaanxi Nanlu and Huaihai Lu, to see what we find.
City God Temple
City God Temple, of course, is the best place to bargain for traditional Chinese articles. Most stores mentioned here are more than 100 years old and are well-known for quality and have a high reputation in the country. You needn't worry about being cheated in these stores.
Most of the better stores are on Yuyuan Laolu, a small lane inside the complex.
Chopsticks
How about a little change in your home for this Christmas dinner by adding a more oriental atmosphere?
Chopsticks certainly are traditional Chinese articles and are easy to carry. Most chopsticks sold in the store are not just eating implements but are handicraft masterpieces. Precious woods, silver decoration, carvings, exquisite chopstick boxes and table linen add a lot of fun to the dining experience.
A set of chopsticks and red table linen priced of 89 yuan (US$10) is especially recommended for new couples. The beautiful colour is said to bring good luck.
Other chopsticks range from 20 yuan (US$2.40) to 200 yuan (US$24) depending on craftsmanship and wood quality.
Liyun Ge fans
They are just pieces of paper and small bamboo pieces, but Chinese folding fans create an extremely elegant look.
Though it is winter, a lovely fan can be an ornament instead of just a device to produce cool air.
The paintings on the fan are handmade and can be about calligraphy, Chinese paintings of birds, flowers or mountains and rivers.
Having a fan with a high-quality painting or calligraphy used to reflect one's good taste in ancient times. Intellectuals in those days also used to collect good fans or would do the painting on the fan themselves as an interest. So, why not learn from the ancients?
Leather cutting
Leather cutting is the traditional handicraft of Northwest China. Now it is available in Shanghai.
Yin Xiaoling has been doing leather cutting for more than 10 years.
With a piece of hard leather she can cut it into many dramatic figures such as emperor, beauty or warrior.
All the figures can be moved in the head, legs and arms and can be used in local drama performances. Sticks and strings are connected to the cuttings similar to a puppet show. One large size leather cutting can set you back about 150 yuan (US$18).
Maoming Nanlu Chinese Costume
Wangpo Xipu (Granny Wang's Happy Shop) provides refined Chinese costumes in silk or rich embroidery mostly in cheerful colours such as red, pink or blue.
Apart from costumes, small articles in Chinese traditional styles also make an attractive Christmas present. Tiger-head shoes are good gifts for children and the tiger head patterns are hand-made by women in villages of Henan Province.
Then there are small embroidery boxes that are just right as containers for women' cosmetics or jewellery. And silk handkerchiefs are good gifts for anyone. Costumes are priced around 1,000 yuan (US$121) while the small articles are from 10 yuan up.
The intersection of Jinxian Lu and Maoming Nanlu
Huaihai Lu Xmas Decorations
Joyce Flowers is highly recommended for its elegant taste and the care that has gone into creating special Christmas trees, beautifully decorated flower rings and fresh flowers.
Unlike ordinary pine trees, the Christmas trees are decorated with a shell made of dried vines, dark blue feathers swinging behind the shell. Several vine stars, colourful silk balls and coloured lights create a festive look. The price range is from 1,300 yuan (US$157) to 1,500 yuan (US$181).
If you have a grand villa, you had better buy a wonderful flower ring with a diameter of more than one metre. At the base of the green artificial pine tree branches, two white doves are about to fly on spreading wings. White feathers and bright blue balls are also arranged on the ring. The rings cost 2,200 yuan (US$265) each.
No. 1500 Huaihai Lu
Tel: 6433-3590
Candle House
Every passerby will stop to look at the lovely dolls and pretty angels exhibited in the windows of the Candle House.
The shop has a range of delicate snowmen, deer, bears, Santa Claus, angels and various Christmas specials made of wax and resin. Candle holders in the shape of houses or vases and Christmas cards are also available.
Designed by European artists specializing in Christmas decorations, these products are mostly exported.
When the wax bear doll is lit, its body becomes transparent and releases a pleasing fragrance. The resin shell of the doll remains the same after the wax inside is burnt out.
You have other choices such as a snowman with white coat and silver scarf. The candles range in price from 38 yuan (US$4.60) to 268 yuan (US$32).
1574, Huaihai Zhonglu
Tel: 6431-6430
Shaanxi Nanlu
AT the intersection of Yongjia Lu and Shaanxi Nanlu there is a flower market selling at wholesale and retail prices a great variety of fresh flowers and floral products.
Surrounding the market are shops selling interesting ornaments and housewares products.
Aromatic Products
The fragrance of lavender greets shoppers who open the door of the store on Yongjia Lu, which claims to be the city's first provider shop of aromatic products.
Besides the aromatic oils and dried flowers, the shop sells rarer products such as seeds and bonsai. The bonsais are priced at 28 yuan (US$3.38) each. Pillows stuffed with lavender and buckwheat seeds are popular with customers and are priced around 100 yuan (US$12).
Room 10, No. 36 Yongjia Lu
Tel: 6431-7782
Asian Jewellery
Walk along Yongjia Lu and turn right onto Shaanxi Nanlu and you will find a little shop dealing in exotic handicrafts: cloth-covered lamps, hand-knitted scarves, exotic jewelries, all folk products from Eastern Asian countries and ethnic groups.
Many of the products now come from Laos instead of Tibet previously. The shop owner turned to more remote and exotic stuff when Tibetan goods overwhelmed the market.
A long silk scarf is priced around 160 yuan (US$19.3); the jewellery ranges from 85 to 500 yuan (US$60.4).
The small shop is usually packed with half a dozen customers, making it seem busy and warm.
No. 223 Shaanxi Nanlu
Tel: 6415-0301
Holiday Decor
Only a few doors away and sharing the same number, is "Room My Room", a newly opened shop that sells household decorative products and holiday goods - candle holders, gift bags, holiday stickers.
There are photo frames and little jewel boxes in the shape of dolls and animals, all with sparkling jewels inset. The price range is wide, from 150 to 900 yuan (US$18 to 108), depending on the craftsmanship of each item.
There is also pottery ware from Japan and prints of Yunnan-style paintings.
223 Shaanxi Nanlu
Tel: 5466-8916
Candle Shop
Still walking along Shaanxi Nanlu, on the opposite side of the street, is a candle shop. So many shops sell candle products nowadays, but this store surely has the largest variety.
A 410 Shaanxi Nanlu
Tel: 6437-4558
Teddy Bears
On the same side of the street is a stuffed toy shop with thousands of teddy bears from the size of a five-year-old child to that of the child's palm.
The shop windows are arranged in a charming way, with teddy bears sitting around a little table as if enjoying their dinner.
Christmas costumes made from material for toys are also available. A red gown priced at 68 yuan (US$8.2) will turn one into Santa Claus.
404 Shaanxi Nanlu
Tel: 6437-3835
(Shanghai Star December 13, 2002)
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