Manga market
‘Fine artworks should be like sunshine in a blue sky and a breeze in spring that will inspire minds,’ stated President Xi last September, before banning 38 ‘vulgar’ Japanese comics that did not meet the sunny, breezy criteria. Manga fans should fear not, though, for while they may be under threat from outside forces, the breasts of the erotic figurines at Wenmiao Lu manga market remain defiantly enormous.
The cluster of shops devoted to comics, vinyl figures, computer games and accessories, and other anime merchandise is heralded by a grand, formal entrance, due to the nearby Confucian temple (a few hundred yards down the street, on the left hand side). Aficionados might be able to spot what is and isn’t genuinely from Japan (the vendors themselves probably can’t be trusted on that front) but generalists who are looking for something kitsch might be interested in a Super Mario pez set or a Hello Kitty iPad case.
Otherwise you can combine the trip with a visit to the temple, and perhaps a browse of the graphic novel sellers just outside the market. There’s also a ‘ghost’ book market kicking off at 7.30am on Sundays, named as such due to the early morning light giving stall-holders a phantasmic appearance.
Manga Market is at 215 Wenmiao Lu, near Zhonghua Lu, Huangpu district. Open 10am-6pm daily.
Stamp and Coin Market
This split-level market, located next to Nanpu Bridge, has been doing good business since 1984, and is home to a hundred-odd stall-holders flogging new notes and old coins; as well as a separate area focused on stamps.
The coin collection is almost entirely Chinese, with very few import purchase opportunities; goods range from gold-coloured 1RMB coins (going for 25RMB) to a Qing dynasty antique priced at 3,000RMB. Philatelists may encounter similar limitations, although the stall-holders here are enthusiastic about their collections, and are keen to engage potential buyers in conversation about a stamp’s history. Pick up an empty stamp album for 25RMB, and then kickstart your collection with a 1980s golden monkey stamp for 1,300RMB (or just buy a pre-filled album for 275RMB).
Lu Gong Stamp and Coin Collectors’ Market is at 600 Jumen Lu, near Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu, Huangpu district. Open 8.30am-3.30pm daily.
Pearl Market
Pearls have many positive associations in Chinese culture, and are often depicted with drawings of dragons as a sign of perfection and enlightenment. Whether you’ll find either of those things lurking on the second and third floor of Hongqiao New World Pearl Market is open for debate, but there are plenty of pearls, at least some of them real.
The slightly higher end shops purportedly stock fresh water pearls and sea pearls imported from Australia and Japan, while the scruffier shops don’t seem to know where theirs come from. Tip: if you’re unsure of a pearl’s veracity, ask the vendor to scrape a knife across it; a real one will result in the shedding of a light powder. Then again, if you’re paying five kuai for one (as you can here) it’s probably not from a clam. Regardless, you should be prepared to bargain hard.
Hongqiao New World Pearl Market is at 3721 Hongmei Lu, near Yanan Xi Lu, Changning district. Open 10am-9pm daily.
The Wedding Mall
Thanks to the fact that it is almost totally desolate, the singularly miserable Tianyu Wedding Plaza resembles a chilling, post-apocalyptic landscape populated solely by crumbling mannequins – store proprietors look positively surprised to see us there, and one seems to have just abandoned their shop altogether. The floor has cracked open in another, as if yielding to the boiling heat of hell.
Still though, a bargain’s a bargain, and there are plenty to be had: who’s after a boob tube bridesmaids’ dress for 80RMB? A silver studded suit for 400RMB? A faux-velvet qipao adorned with purple leaves for 200RMB? It does, in fact, appear that somebody has gone cray-cray with the glue gun here, with feathers, jewels, sequins and miscellaneous scrap metal stuck to any space going (there’s even glitter all over the escalators). Pick up a wedding dress here for 600-3,000RMB and wear it as a Halloween costume, if you dare.
Tianyu Wedding Plaza is at 757 Renmin Lu, near Jiucang Jie, Huangpu district. Open 10am-10pm daily.