Streets Ahead
Monday, 25 January 2010 02:01
Written by Hailey Meng

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Most foreigners might think that southern Shanghai ends at IKEA, and anything further counts as the countryside. But that’s forgetting Longhua Lu, a street to the southeast of the Xujiahui monster malls. Built in AD 242, Longhua used to be one of the oldest towns in Shanghai, attracting thousands of visitors before most of it was burned down in 1966 in the Cultural Revolution. A new tourist town stands there now, but still holds two stunning,if heavily renovated, reminders of the original architecture.

Martyrs’ Cemetery (pictured)
180 Longhua Xi Lu, 6.30am-5pm, free entry
There probably isn’t a local kid in Shanghai who hasn’t been dragged here on at least one school trip. But as school outings go, we reckon it’s a pretty good one. The martyrs’ cemetery is located in the beautiful Longhua Park, which features hundreds of peach blossom trees and long soft grass, perfect for picnics in warmer weather. Brush up on your Chinese history at the memorial museum.

Longhua Temple and Pagoda
2853 Longhua Lu, 7am-4.30pm, RMB10
Longhua Temple was constructed about 1,800 years ago during the Three Kingdoms era, but since then has been rebuilt four times. Legend has it that a dragon once appeared on the site (hence the name long, meaning dragon) and returns each year to grant people’s wishes at the famous Peach Blossom fair. The gorgeous Longhua pagoda is just a stone’s throw away but sadly is too fragile inside for the public to be allowed access.

Streets Ahead
Thursday, 03 December 2009 07:12
Written by Xinlei Wang

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In a city that is teeming with restaurants, cafes, and bars, the task of picking just the right spot for the right occasion can be overwhelming. So as the holiday season approaches, and outings multiply, Jinxian Lu makes for an attractive destination. This small road in the former French Concession, located between Shanxi Lu and Maoming Lu, is lined with restaurants offering a wide variety of different cuisines, with top spots including Chun, perhaps the world’s most unlikely recipient of international restaurant accolades with its authentic Shanghainese flavors and shabby lane house setting, the boutique-like Citizen Café, and the innovative Yunnan restaurant South Barbarian. Here are our three new recommendations for Jinxian Lu seasonal dining.

Streets Ahead
Tuesday, 10 November 2009 01:11
Written by Helen Elfer & Hailey Meng

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Hunting for treasures after dark at three of Shanghai's best night markets

Hongkou Flea Market
Hongkou Flea Market gives you the impression that someone has hastily scooped up all the dusty props from an old Shanghai movie and decided to make a quick buck from them.

Rickety tables and dirty blankets line the streets of Zhoushan Lu and Feihong Lu, displaying the most random assortment of wares you could possibly imagine. Antique knick-knacks make up the majority of what’s on offer and there are some real finds – traditional Chinese instruments, old newspapers (we found one dating back to 1948) and beautifully designed mirrors, telephones and household ornaments.

Streets Ahead
Wednesday, 16 December 2009 12:12
Written by Hailey Meng

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Once called Rue de la Porte de l'Ouest (Westgate Road), Zizhong Lu is a street that links the poor and the rich in Shanghai. The shabbiest Shikumen houses coexist with RMB70,000 sqm uber-luxury serviced apartments. The variety of its residents and the history behind it have given Zizhong Lu a mixed character, from chic fashion boutiques to antique markets, from DIY bakeries to Shandong dumpling restaurants, it’s just like a synecdoche Shanghai.

Vintage Vehicle Models, No. 34
Pay attention to this place, model fans. This shop, right on the corner of Dongtai Lu market and Zizhong Lu, has some seriously good deals to offer. The owner is an old Shanghainese man who taught himself to make vintage vehicle models from scratch. With models from 40s military jeeps to 30s St. Louis Cardinal aircraft, this guy can make everything just from a picture. Not to mention these models are a steal, prices range from only RMB150-RMB500.

Choice DIY Bakery, No.349
Don’t let the pink doors and Hello Kitty decorations deceive you, this place is much more fun than any stuffed toy shop. Choice offers do-it-yourselfstyle cakes, with a huge selection of chocolate figurines, colored icing and decorations for you to play with. If you need inspiration check out their portfolio of amazing cakes shaped like Louis Vuitton bags, big booties and even an iPhone. We bet they taste just as good as they look, but can you bring yourself to eat these beautiful pieces of art?

Streets Ahead
Friday, 09 October 2009 05:10
Written by Helen Elfer & Hailey Meng

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Just a stone’s throw from People’s Square is a cluster of shops selling every hair product your heart could desire, at wholesale prices. Here on the corner of Yunnan Zhong Lu and Guangdong Lu is where all the salons come to stock up so shops prefer to sell in bulk. And when you’ve finished with the basics, there are many weird and wonderful shops to poke around in. We found multi-colored wigs, human-hair sellers and oh, the biggest Beijing Opera costume shop in China (allegedly)…

Shengxing Wig Shop, No.662 Guangdong Lu
Rows of ghostly-white mannequin heads line the walls of this cavernous store, but one you get past the creepiness it’s a hairpiece-hunter’s heaven. The multi-colored wigs (RMB60-80) are lined up in fluorescent blue, pink and green, mullet-shaped, bobbed, you name it, just crying out to be worn to a goofy party. The natural-colored wigs come in all sorts of styles and prices start at RMB100. Keep an eye out for the boho hair braids too.

Pinkie’s Nail Salon, No.41 Yunnan Lu
This cute and intimate salon offers a full range of manicure-pedicure services, including UV Light Gel nails, acrylics and deluxe hand treatments. A basic manicure is a pretty standard RMB80, but the salon is offering RMB20 off any service right now. And best of all, if you bring a boy with you, he gets a manicure half-price. Ha. Good luck with that.