With the news of Shanghai’s beloved Dongtai market closing, Bespoke took what might just be a final stroll down Dontgtai Road, the ramshackle street market overflowing with everything from spooky vintage dolls to terrifying looking kung fu weapons and brass horn gramophones. Even for those with no interest in shopping, the area is great fun to explore, as if the contents of an Old Shanghai lane house had been tipped out and left there for the likes of us to rifle through.
The market sits on some of Shanghai’s most valuable real estate, and with the gradual relocation of other traditional markets into more modern (read: much less atmospheric) venues, the move was inevitable. Nevertheless, it will be a sad day when the stall keepers are required to up sticks, and it’s hard to imagine the market existing anywhere else.
Speaking to the vendors as we strolled along, the market’s final closure date is unknown. It’s likely to be a gradual process starting in the next few weeks and perhaps stretching into the early part of next year – but as we all know, in the world of Chinese demolition nothing is certain and nothing is sacred, so don’t delay if you’d like to give the market a final look.
So where can you buy similarly exciting curios in Shanghai once the market is gone? (and really, people, we’ll not be using the word antique here – Dongtai’s reputation for ‘replicas’ was well earned). Here are a few suggestions:
- For Communist kitsch ranging from Mao figurines to ‘little red books’ and amazing Cultural Revolution-era posters (both original and prints), head to the small store at the Propaganda Poster Arts Center, which also boasts the private poster collection of one Mr. Yan
- Alternatively, for a slightly more design-focused collection, try the well-curated Madame Mao’s Dowry boutique in the Former French Concession.
- For chintzy but fun knickknacks head to Fangbang Road near busy Yu Garden. With heavy tourist footfall this is hardly an undiscovered gem; but it’s an easy place to find the classic China souvenirs that are good for kids especially – dragon kites, mini drums, stuffed pandas and I Love Shanghai t-shirts!
- For the truly intrepid, we’ve recently been exploring this vast warehouse in rural Pudong, where canyons of old art deco cabinets sit atop beautiful Ming-style chairs and anything else you might imagine. Fair warning – this is for the seriously adventurous – (the proprietor offers mosquito repellent and a facial expression that says ‘good luck’ as you prepare to enter…
For a tour around old Shanghai and to see the parts most tourists miss, you’ll love our Ramble the Real Shanghai Signature Experience, led by a French-born expert on the city.