Ladies and gentlemen, let's get ready to shop till we drop!
Shanghai shopping festival is going strong all around the city with 10 cleverly planned shopping trails, taking happy shoppers along commercial streets and through trendy concept stores, with plenty of yummy snacks on the way.Which route has what you just must buy? Where are the hottest bargains? Joan Zheng and Sophie Wang take a look.
Jinshanzui Fishing Village
★ Highlight: A seafood feast
Jinshanzui fishing village is one of the oldest in Shanghai. Once the home to the fishermen of Jinshan, it has a long fishing history.
The village is small, but the scenery is excellent. At beautiful Xiangyu Lake in summer, thousands of lotus can be seen as you take a pot of tea in the nearby teahouse.
Seafood is the must-try here. Specialties include shrimp meat, sea eel and jelly fish head. You can also enjoy braised noodles or wonton with yellow croaker.
Address: 6394 Huhang Highway
Tel: 3721-6777
1192
★ Highlight: Treasure trove of the tastes and memories of old Shanghai
Beneath Shijihui Square, 1192 is a gathering place of food and nostalgic delights. Decorated in a shikumen (stone-gate house) style, it brings back lots of memories.
You can enjoy many old Shanghai snacks here, such as fried baked scallion pancake, wonton, sweet dumplings and crusty pancake.
When you are full up, tramcars can take you on a sightseeing tour.
Address: 1192 Century Avenue
Tel: 6859-8828
Zhouqiao Minqing Street
★ Highlight: Splendid architecture dating back to the Song Dynasty
Zhouqiao Minqing Street has many dwelling places from the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties.
There are pagodas, stone-paved streets, bridges, temples and gardens from the Song Dynasty (960-1279) to the Qing Dynasty.
The whole street is like an ink wash painting typical of many historic towns in southeast China.
Famous scenic spots include Huilong Pond, the Confucian Temple, Qiuxia Garden and a bamboo carving museum.
You can overlook the panorama of the old town from the top of Fahua Pagoda.
Address: South of the junction of Bole Road and Dongdajie Street
Tel: 6952-2362
Nanxiang Old Street
★ Highlight: Little steamed buns
Nanxiang Old Street is formed by Renmin, Gonghe and Jiefang streets.
There are many interesting antiquities, the Song Dynasty Nanxiang temple and Ming Dynasty bell tower.
Attractions include museums and a pavilion dedicated to the celebrated Nanxiang xiaolong (little steamed buns. Hundreds of stores, such as the Baokang Hotel and Xieji silk shop, sell a wide variety of products.
The buns are a must try, as are the clover cake and stinky tofu.
Address: 206 Jiefang Street
Tel: 5912-5503
Gui Garden Teahouse
Highlight: A delicate tearoom expressing neoclassical lifestyle
Located inside Guilin Park, the Gui Garden Teahouse is a delicate tearoom expressing a neoclassical lifestyle and healthy life concept.
With a traditional theme, the teahouse has five classically styled buildings including a Goddess of Mercy Pavilion, an ancient hall and a boat in traditional Chinese style.
Besides a beautiful garden view, the teahouse combines Chinese tea with local desserts, traditional dishes and artworks.
Address: 188 Caobao Road
Tel: 6458-5757
DeDa Western Restaurant
★ Highlight: A renowned century-old western restaurant
Formerly known as Cosmopolitan Restaurant, DeDa is a famous western restaurant with a number of typical western dishes and desserts.
Since its establishment in 1897, DeDa Western Restaurant has received high praise from all parts of society for its great tastes and splendid environment.
The signature dishes here are grilled spring chicken, hamburger steak, smoked pomfret, Hungarian chicken and pork chop.
Address: 2 Yunnan Road
Tel: 6321-3810
Shanghai Classical Restaurant
★ Highlight: Restaurant justly famed for Shanghai cuisine
Established in 1875, Shanghai Classical Restaurant is one of the cities best known spots for trying Shanghai’s traditional dishes.
Providing fresh food and pure tastes, Shanghai Classical Restaurant has become a stalwart of the city’s food history, but also the recent history of Shanghai.
The restaurant has absorbed characteristics of Jiangsu cuisine, Zhejiang cuisine and Anhui cuisine, and developed Shanghai dishes in many ways.
The highlights here are eight-treasure delicious duck, sweet and sour fried croacker and pepper-salt spareribs.
Address: 242 Fuyou Road
Tel: 6311-1777
B&B ltalia
★ Highlight: The best of Italian furniture
This year in Xintiandi, one of Italy’s top furniture brands, B&B ltalia, opened the doors of its largest store in Asia.
Founded in 1966 by Italian entrepreneur Piero Ambrogio Busnelli, B&B ltalia is famous for its simple, modern designs. With a distinct brand positioning “design for life,” products such as sofas, chairs, and desks all have a strong practical value and look gorgeous.
Address: 168 Hubin Road
Tel: 6330-0606
Bookstore by the Foot of a Hill
★ Highlight: A beautiful bookstore at the foot of a mountain
Bookstore by the Foot of a Hill is an interactive bookstore which brings together conventional books and an intriguing use of space.
As its name suggests, the bookstore is located at the foot of Fenghuang Mountain in Songjiang District.
It has a wonderful feeling of connection with nature, offering a comfortable place for readers to relax themselves while they enjoy one of the thousands of volumes on offer.
With warm lighting, creative reading nooks and large variety of material to choose from, it is a nice place to spend a lazy weekend afternoon.
Address: 3770 Sichen Highway
Tel: 131-2751-9950
Starbucks Reserve Roastery Shanghai
★ Highlight: A magic coffee factory of Starbucks
Located on Nanjing Road W., Shanghai Starbucks Reserve Roastery opened in December of 2017.
With a vintage, chic design, the roastery aims to create a unique space that allows customers to experience the craft of roasting and brewing coffee.
In this magic coffee factory, customers can taste different coffees and witness the roasting process.
It is an excellent coffee journey to taste a cup of mellow coffee surrounded by the fragrance of fresh coffee beans. Go and enjoy it.
Address: 789 Nanjing Road W.
Tel: 6263-3800