Top 16 Shanghai Markets

By Sara Naumann, About.com Guide

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Description: 3 story market full of Chinese tea
Address: Zhongshan Xi Road #520 (中山西录520号)
Opening hours: Daily 10am-6pm
Comments: If you want to get all your tea shopping done in one place, this is it. If you can, take along a Chinese speaker. None available? No problem, allow yourself plenty of time. Arm yourself with a dictionary and go sample tea. Shop owners are extremely friendly. Don't be afraid to touch and smell, ask for tastes. Most will invite you in to have a cup of tea, smell the wares and browse at will. The first two floors are all tea, the third floor is a mix of tea and curios. You'll find everything from Long Jing green tea, Yunnan Province Pu'er tea, jasmine, oolong, everything is here.

Description: 2 floors within a shopping mall - nothing but glasses
Address: Muling Road #188, 4-5 Floors (穆棱路188号4－5楼)
Opening hours: Daily 10am-6pm
Comments: If you are like me, you can afford one pair of glasses every few years. You wear them so long that your friends have to tell you that round Harry Potter glasses are really, really out. Those days are over. One trip to the Shanghai Optical Market and you'll have new face furniture for every outfit.

Description: basement market full of kids' fashion and toys
Address: northwest corner of Pu'an Road at Jinlin Road
Opening hours: Daily 10am-6pm
Comments: If it's cheap kids' clothing or toys you're looking for, hit this market. Sometimes you have to dig around for sizes and quality but there are some good finds, especially for babies and girls. Some vendors sell brand-name clothing such as Ralph Lauren, Jacadi, Gant, Janie & Jack, etc. Toys are a good bargain here, especially if you need to stock up on little surprises for the airplane.

Description: enormous market hall full of stalls selling upholstery and bedding fabric
Address: 1618 Cao'an Road | 曹安路1618号轻纺市场
Opening hours: Daily 10am-6pm
Comments: A great place to order custom-made bedding like those silk duvet blankets at a fraction of what you pay in the Suzhou silk markets. Custom-made sheets and bedding, upholstery fabric are all good value here.

Description: 3 floors full of bags, shoes, pashminas, sports jerseys, fake Apple products and more
Address: 580 Nanjing West Road | 南京西路580号
Opening hours: Daily 10am-6pm
Comments: This is the standard "fake" market in Shanghai. There are plenty of sub-par products here and loads of souvenirs. You can stock up on stuffed pandas, brocade table runners, China t-shirts and chopsticks as well as fake Ugg boots, various brands of bags, copy electronics and sports jerseys from just about any team in the world. Bargain hard, the asking prices are outrageous.

Description: 2 floors of flowers, both live and fake, as well as gifts
Address: 1148 Changshou Road, near Wanhangdu Road | 长寿路1148号，近万航渡
Opening hours: Daily 8am-6pm
Comments: Go to see the flower culture of China. Especially during Chinese New Year, the flowers and plants are just amazing.