Shanghai Local Markets

I think this is one of my absolute favourite trips during my stay in Shanghai. I was studying Chinese Culture and Society, and being taught by two amazing lecturers, one of the lectures organised for us to get out and see how old Shanghai is still thriving. His son, whose English was astounding, showed us round the old markets in shanghai, close to the Yuyuan bazaar and Gardens, teaching us about the culture, unusual foods, and market life in Shanghai.

Through the tour we saw live chickens, eels, frogs, home grown vegetables, animals and organs I couldn't identify, as well as health and safety standards that would make even your local greasy spoon 'chef' cry. It was magical, as Fudan University is not in central Shanghai we had glimpsed aspects of this market life, a life incredibly different from the millionaires drinking at park 97. In my opinion this is the heart and origin of Shanghai; the community atmosphere neighbours chatting on street corners and men in suits buying weird weird produce.

The places we where shown is a side of China that is too frequently hidden from tourists. However, I think that this rough and ready version of Shanghai is the most honest, interesting and engaging. I believe I learnt a lot about the traditional cultutre of China through this market tour and I am overjoyed to see that this type of life is still thriving. It something that died out long ago in England.

What I really appreciate is that though these people have access to Wall-mart and Tesco, they still chose these markets, that have been in existence for hundreds of years. It's great that the younger generations who want to buy their frogs and Peking duck at Wall-mart can, but for every one of those, there is still someone supporting the local economy and local environment through shopping at these Markets.