by Lisa Movius
It's that time of year again, and Shanghai more
than ever before is caught up in Christmas fever. Every store
seems to have a fake tree, of varying size but invariably
gaudily attired. A casual stroll down Huaihai Zhong Lu
reveals no less than four establishments selling singing
Santas. That's right, singing Santas. Most of 'em
dance too. However "cool" Christmas becomes in the city,
in the minds of most it is intrinsically symbolized by two
things: Santa Claus and tinny renditions of Christmas carols.
It is thus difficult to find any sort of holiday apparatus
that neither sings nor has a plastic Santa attached
somewhere. Difficult but not impossible. As far as
variety goes, the maze of street markets in the old city
around Yuyuan takes the cake. Two major markets deserve
notice, both on Fuyong Lu. The eastern stretch of Fuyong Lu
immediately north of the touristy area is currently Shanghai's
best, most crowded, and most insanely overwhelming street
market. The recently expanded market, known as Fumin Jie
for the alley it occupies, is not for the faint of heart,
claustrophobes, or the bargaining impaired. Finding it
is the easy part; finding your way out will be the
problem. A lot of treasures are there for the finding,
but you have to sift through a lot of cheap, glaring plastic
to find it. Everywhere you look, feather boa-type tinsel
laurels in a rainbow of color hang down. Normal,
old-fashioned, draped strand-by-strand tinsel, however, is not
to be found.
Head west on Fuyong Lu for less chaos and
crowds. This stretch, spilling into Henan Lu, was once a
fantastic market, but the encroachment of the new "Shanghai
Old Street" has driven prices up and selection down.
Ornaments here run a little closer to the tasteful side,
although most still have miniature plastic Santas perched on
top. In both markets, lower quality baubles should cost
no more than 5 RMB, and the nicer stuff should run from 7 to
10 RMB. Bids on an artificial, 5-foot green Christmas
tree started at 45 RMB; a towering 7-foot version started at
108 RMB. White or silver trees are also available, with
sizes ranging from 4 to 6 feet and prices ranging from 50 to
150 RMB. The markets also offer every imaginable variety of
Christmas light, not guaranteed to still work when you get
them home. I accidentally purchased a set that blared
"Jingle Bells" and "We wish you a Merry Christmas," albeit
skipping a few notes each, whenever plugged in.
After a few evenings of "Jingle Bells"-inspired nightmares,
I flipped and took a hammer to the sound box. I don't
recommend this course of action. Instead, I recommend
heading to Parkson's (Huaihai Lu at Shanxi Nan Lu), which has
a booth of Christmas items outside as well a great selection
of cards and wrapping paper just inside the main door. The
trees are overpriced (60 RMB for a three-footer), but their
lights provide the option of a "Silent Night." Even better
hassle-free shopping can be found on the third floor of the
Jusco Store (Tianmu Lu, near the train station). Christmas
trees from three to five feet are priced decently (30 to 100
RMB), and Jusco also has a good selection of decorations,
although most of their lights sing.
The Chang Le Blue
Calico Gifts Shop (384 Changle Lu, behind the Jinjiang Hotel,
6256-3686) has, for the holiday season, transformed itself
into a tasteful, European-style Christmas joint. An army of
Nutcrackers (15 to 70 RMB) keep watch over the shop, which
focuses on hand-made wooden crafts and candles of all shapes,
sizes, colors, and flavors. It's amazing how much they manage
to cram in there, including table cloths, stockings, bells,
and miniature rocking horses. Their lights sing too.
Although lacking on the Christmas front, Ikea offers some
beautiful if expensive New Year's gear in a silver, white, and
blue motif. Most notable include various Champagne
flutes, including a giant two and a half foot version (259
RMB) large enough to hold an entire bottle of bubbly. A
six-pack of more subdued tulips runs for 60 RMB, champagne not
included.
Shanghai has not, however, progressed to other Western
seasonal holidays. Chanukah and Kwaanza paraphernalia were
conspicuously absent from the stores, although menorahs can be
purchased through the Shanghai Jewish
community. On the other hand, China managed to remarkably
combine Christmas and Western New Year with indigenous
traditions. In commemoration of the upcoming year of the
Dragon, one of the most common tree ornaments was a shiny
dragon, often with "2000" emblazoned on its belly. I even saw
one with a singing Santa riding on its back.
Lisa Movius is Shanghai Listings Editor for
ChinaNow.com
