Many people ask me about the new location of Xiangyang Market.

There are many versions to this answer since every emerging market is trying hard to claim themselves as the NEW Xiangyang Market. Non of the claim can be verified since as a market famous for fake goods, there is no official answer.

Shanghai Science and Technology Museum

It seems to ME that the one under the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum is the most similar one I saw so far.

There are some characteristic of Xiangyang Market:

1. Tons of small shops for cloth.

2. High price in offer, low price in final deal.

3. Fake goods – good with pretty good quality, but use the brand name they don’t own.

The new market is true in these three criteria.

Especially on the second one:

High Price in Offer, Low Price in Final Deal

Remember a rule: Never, ever pay more than 1/3 of the price they offer for the first time.

Example, for a jacket, if you are the price, they said: “300 RMB”, you typically can get it at 100 RMB or so.

For foreigners, their first offer is typically higher.

The Location

Take Metro #2 and it is at the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum. Do NOT exit the station. It is just at the basement level of the station.

Map

On my way back from my friend’s new apartment, I heard interesting conversation between a foreign women and her friends. They talked about the “fake market” in Shanghai. They were very excited, that obviously, they found the new fake market after Xiangyang market was closed. They happily bought some fake goods there.

Well. Xiangyang Market is shutdown

, but the fake good store owners are always able to find places to continue their business, and more interestingly, customers (including foreign customers) seem to be good at finding them out, quickly.

People Do Search for “Fake Market”

The search for “Fake market in Shanghai” continues on Internet. In the first 6 months of 2006, 533 people searched “fake market shanghai“, or terms like this, and got to this site.

fake+market+shanghai 188

shanghai+fake+market 167

shanghai fake market 65

fake market shanghai 54

shanghai+fake 17

shanghai+fakes 16

fake+market+in+shanghai 16

shanghai+fake+goods 10

Beside that, 2360 searched for “Xiangyang” market.

Embarassing to be Fake Market Online…

When I talked about Xiang Yang Market two and half years ago, I called it “the Shopping Paradise“. At that time, as an idoit of cloth, and brand, I categorized the “famous brands” in the market into two type: out-of-factory price genuie goods, and fake goods. Later, more and more report reveals most goods are fake… I seemed to make a mistake then.

After that, the page is the first result in Google for any search for “xiangyang market”, even the city name “xiangyang”, and “fake market in Shanghai”. I just found out the page now is the No. 1 result for the term “fake market” in Google (even without ‘Shanghai’). Hmmm. It is not good. So just want to post a disclaimer here, that I am not a supporter, or promoter for fake good deals. Anyway, Xiangyang market is gone. I still miss the good price, good quality of goods, but don’t miss too much on the fake stuff.

P.S. Google Analytics Told the Story

Google Analytics is a good product. I started tracking traffic using Google Analytics from Nov, 2005, but didn’t check their report carefully. They have only Executive review by default, so I even didn’t know they have many more reports and in depth reports available. Today, I checked and found out interesting paterns people searches in Google and visited my site, and found out the story.

This is confirmed news: at 9:30 PM, June 30, 2006, all the gates of Xiangyang Market was closed, and no customers are allowed to enter the market from then. Soon, the buildings will be cleared and the site will be turned into a retail and office complex.

No more Xiangyang Market in Shanghai. So don’t need to waste time to go to the site to try your luck – it is closed, and it is gone.

Update

Where will be Xiang Yang Market go? Many of them moved to Qipu Road Market, which is at the Qipu Road (near the Suzhou Creek and the Middle Henan Road), and others moved to the Yatai Market.

According to some report, 200+ small merchants moved to the Yatai Market at the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum Metro Station of Metro Line #2. The market will open soon.

There is no doubt that the prosperity of a market like Xiang Yang will not be back.

Also, it is clear message of “NO” to fake goods and products. According to the news, Yatai put “No Fake Goods” into the rental contracts and kept close eyes on this issue. Anyway, China has entered the WTO; the Beijing Olympics will be held in 2 years, and the Shanghai World Expo 2010 is just 3 years ahead.

I guess this may be the last entry for the Xiangyangmarket category in this blog. Xiang Yang Market will be offically closed on Jun 30, 2006. The market started with a small market at Huating Road (Metro Changshu Road station), and moved to the current location, and became really big and famous. Since there are too many fake goods there, under the pressure of foreign companies, the government finally closed it (This is my guess of the reasons, not official reasons).

After the market, there is no plan to rebuild it somewhere else. Quoting the term a technical support guy in ipowerweb.com, “It is gone. It is gone, for ever. There is absolutely no way to get it back!” (The guy used the sentence to convinience they have happily deleted every single file I own on their server.)

Currently, according to my friends who visited the market, the majority of the market is closed, with small portion still open. There are many people bringing visitors to their private locations near the market. The fake deal still continues.

On the Shanghai Airlines flight from Shanghai to Beijing, I read the news on Shanghai Morning Post that Xiangyang Marketing will be shutdown soon.

I have a mixed feeling of the news.

Due to Fake Goods

According to the news, the reason to shutdown the market is because of too many fake goods in the market. 8 of 10 complain received on counterfeit goods are reported to be happen in Xiangyang Marketing, the commercial department said.

It is absolutely reasonable number. Just go there and see how many people approaches you and ask you whether you want LV bags or Rolex watches and anyone knows how serious the problem is.

Shutdown?

I have the mixed feeling of the market. It is the place for me to go buy some really goods stuff. I don’t care about brand too much, and I specially feel bad to wear something you know it is fake. However, many stores really sell good goods (with unknown brand) at very reasonable price. I don’t know where to go after it is shutdown. Department stores are too expensive and too few choices, and other bargine markets are not as fashionable.

However, the problem of the counterfeit goods are so obvious and many people to go there just to buy “Rolex” watches for 100 RMB or LV bags for 80 RMB.

Overall, I welcome the news. It is the first step to regulare the market. They are doing the right thing.

I went to the Xiang Yang market again to buy shoes for the U.S. trip. It is said the temperature of Chicago may drops to -30°C when I arrive there. Oh. I have to be serious for this because I have never been to any place that is so cold. I went around the Xiang Yang market for several rounds before I found a parking lot. It was too crowded and I have to very careful about the cars rushing by and the bikes and passengers. I LOL when I saw a foreigner hide himself behind a large bus and extended his head out to see if it is safe to go, and they jumped out and rushed to the other side of the street. It seemed he was a solider fighting with his enemy in the WWII. He is so funny. Of cause he was scared about going crossing the street. I finally parked my car at 10 RMB for two hours.

The Deal

I never really know bargain in the market. I bought a pair of shoes at 230 RMB. It was labeled Camel. I believe it is fake, but I am not sure.

I have to admit that I don’t know whether the goods in the market are real or not. Maybe they are off similar quality of the real goods, or even from the same manufacture (in case of OEM), but not authorized to use the brands. That is the reason why it is so cheap.

40 Brands Forbidden

At the entrance of the Xiang Yang Market (the entrance near the Huai Hai Road and Xiang Road), there is a notice board. On the boards, the market administration announced according to blah-blah regulation, “selling fake goods of the following 40 brands are forbidden”. Louis Vuitton, and Vacheron Constantin are on the list. In the market, products labeled as Northface, Camel, Nike are displayed everywhere, but non one dare to put on a L.V. bag or Vacheron Constantin watch. I don’t understand why there are differences. Wendy guessed maybe they don’t have a China office yet.

Ironically, when I was reading the notice, as every other minute, the vender approached me and asked me if I am interested in their watches and bags. He was really humorous to open the conversation this way: “Hey. Don’t waste time reading this notice. It is my catalog. Everything that is not forbidden to sell in this market can be found in my store. Why not go and have a look?” Interesting, but why?

Tennis

I had the other two tennis lesson tonight. I completed my fore hand course and started to learn back hand. Mrs. Liu, my tutor is a very nice one. I would like to recommend her to new learners.

ST’s experience of pickpocket in Xiang Yang Market.

Hi!

I just came on 20 march to shanghai for holiday. Just found your site and it is great!

Will like to share an incident that happened to me the other day. Was walking along area around Xiang Yang when vendors approached me to ask me to go to their shop. I said no and carried out walking and the vendor pursued me, constantly pestering me and showing me the name card and asking me to go to their shop. I was hassled for about 50 metres and finally she gave up.

However, later I found out the real scam. She had pickpocketed me. Luckily, she could only take my nokia battery which was kept on a travel bag. I realised then that this was similar to the gypsy children in Italy. They asked for money with a placard and underneath the placard was the real sleigh of hand.

The Next time vendors approach me, I know what to expect. I hope your readers will too.

I know this hurts the image of the city greatly. There are so many people on the road between the Metro ShaanXi North Road Station and the market. The 100-meter road is full of “venders”, trying to bring you into their shops. Pay attention to them. I have complained this to some news agencies. I know there must be some reason why the policemen nearby, the market administrator or whomever responsible for this street never stop them. I don’t believe they don’t know it is there. Knowing this and take precaution does not hurt the image of the city as much as having visitors’ wallet stolen there.

Again, personally, I believe Shanghai is safe. I have experienced one stealing (I believe) of Wendy’s mobile several years ago. That is my only experience of stealing during my 9 years in Shanghai. Meanwhile, I have claimed my lost mobile in taxi at the taxi company for twice – the good drivers reported the mobile to the taxi company and finally find me. Well. It is 2 v.s. 1.

Want to know the must-visit shopping places in Shanghai? Want to buy the world’s most famous clothing, shoes, and watch brands, but don’t want to pay as high as it is labeled in department stores?Xiang Yang Rd. Market is the right place for you.

© Jian Shuo Wang

World Famous Brands

They have North Face, Diesel, Nike, Rolex, Gucci, Prata, etc. Since China has been the manufacture base of world famous brand cloths, the cost of the famous cloths are actaully very low compared to their market price. I believe they are so cheap becaues some of the cloths are knock-offs or factory seconds. Others are just the original goods but got to the market via unknown channel. I guess they should not be allowed to be put on market with the Nike’s brand but with the out-of-factory price.

Anyway, you can get the finest quality with surprising price there. The sweater should be around 100 RMB (12 USD) and a pair of good shoes should be 100-150 RMB (12 – 20 USD). The North Face cloths should be 100-200 RMB.

© Jian Shuo Wang

Bargain

Whatever you do, do not pay anything half of the first price.

Often you can get the goods at about 1/3 of the original price if you are good at bargain. They are quoted at least as twice as or higher of the real price. For foreigners, they quote much higher.

© Jian Shuo Wang

Fake Goods

Beside the cheap genuine goods (either seconds or knock-offs), they also have fake goods – goods that are labeled as the famous brands but actually not.

One typical example is the fake Rolex watch. Guess how much is a Rolex diamond watch that is 18,000 RMB (2100 USD) in Xiang Yang Market? It sells at 100 RMB (12 USD) only. Of cause they are not real Rolex watch, but it is so similar with the genuine watches. At least the watches are very well made with finest handcraft skills. Fake goods are not displayed in the shops, but almost all stores selling watch will show you their secret box if you ask for them.

Warning

Never follow those who attempt to sell you goods outside the market. Typically, they charges extremely high.

Location of Xiang Yang Market

It is between the Xiang Yang Rd. and the Shan Xi North Rd. The easiest way to get there is by Metro. Turn to the right (where most people will go) at the Parkson Departmenet Store exit at Shan Xi South Rd. Station.

Map in courtesy of the original map author and modified by Jian Shuo Wang