Chionggirl in Shanghai

I have heard that Qi Pu Lu is a marketplace like area that one can get bargains and have been wanting to go there. So today I did. Just hop on any taxi and tell the driver that you are going to Qi Pu Lu, and they will know where to take you.

There are a few buildings along Qi Pu Lu. Don't go to the old Qi Pu Lu building. It is now a unpopular place, and I nearly had a case of pickpocket again. Some men saw me coming their way and one of them decided to follow me. My alert radar picked up when he i saw him from the corner of my eye. So I quickly turned my trusty postman bag to the front (the same one that alerted me of the pickpocket when I was at JIng An Si). After I did that, the man walked ahead of me.

So where do you go if you want to check out the marketplace? You can go to Xin Qi Pu Lu (1st picture above) and Xing Wang Shopping Centre (no picture, cos I don't want to look too much like a tourist).  Simple rule of thumb is go where the young girls go, you can't go wrong with that.

Fortunate for me (haha!) the things that are sold there are either too small (I was looking for cheap boots, but... haiz... They don't have my size... WHY DON'T THE CHINESE PEOPLE SPARE A THOUGHT FOR US FOREIGNERS?!) , or they are too 'kawaii' (cute in Japanese) for me, as they are imported from Korea. So those of you who do not have the above, do be prepared to bleed if you go to Qi Pu Lu, cos you will really buy alot of things. THe prices are low (just keep quiet when you are browsing and hear how the owner negotiate with locals on prices and manage your expectations on the prices), and it will definitely interest the typical young Singaporean girl (for the rest of us, I think we have been Zara-fied, Mangon-ised, and Uniqlo-nised).

If not, they are selling some winter clothes which I am not sure if I need to buy as yet, since I am still learning how to be ready for the cold. I am pretty sure I will return to buy the coats and jackets cos they are quite nice, if you do not include the aunty-ish over-bling shops that are favoured by the 'buyers' of the other towns. There are also quite a number of shops that sell UGG boots and Dr Martens lookalike boots. I didn't bother to ask cos I am afraid of dissapointment :(

I did however, bought nice gifts to bring back home :D Heh. For those of you ladies who know me personally, you will get one from me when I am back home. :) I also bought 2 pcs of blankets from a roadside stall at RMB20 each. The same thing costs me RMB50 at Carrefour.

 

Qi Pu Lu is pretty crowded (just like what I always say, it's like Chinese New Year in Singapore). Look at the bridge above, it is packed with people, and its only 1pm! It is a very interesting marketplace, something like a few Bangkok MBK lined together in one area. I am surprised that there are no Caucasians found here, unlke Tao Bao Cheng, I wonder why. Maybe the guidebooks told them to stay away.

Well, at least now I felt kinda proud of myself. I have braved Qi Pu Lu! :)