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Wake up (in your pajamas) and smell the tulips, Expo is on its way

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 08:20:21 +0000

Two new types of flora and a ban on public pajama wearing are the latest Shanghai World Expo developments to have people talking

You would have thought those in charge would have greater things to worry about that what people will be wearing once the Shanghai World Expo opens its gates. But no, the latest regulation to come from the authorities is all about fashion. Or maybe, the lack of it. China Decoded brings to light the city’s new Expo dress code, which prohibits those in their pajamas from venturing outside. It's not a new debate. The popular pastime has been discussed for many years. But this time the government is taking its requested policy seriously, by using a team of volunteers to enforce the rule on everyone from toddlers to local grannies. Although having garnered some successful results, it’s also left a long line of indignant citizens debating the image of their country versus the age-old issue of fashion freedom. Some are openly asking why “the habit of wearing pajamas in public suddenly became the enemy of civilization.”

Perhaps by way of bringing some love and harmony back to the people, a couple of other new stories that have been doing the rounds concern the Expo's floral contingency. As if he weren’t choking us enough with his cuteness, ubiquitous Expo mascot Haibao just got even sweeter compliments of Holland’s tulip authority. This Friday, the Zeeschat tulip (Dutch for ‘treasure of the sea’) will officially make its public appearance as a special Haibao display at Shanghai’s Flower Port until the final week countdown on April 26th.

This newly developed tulip species, more than 20 years in the making, was officially presented last December to China’s top Expo boss Hu Jinjun by Dutch Consul-general Eric Verwaal, followed by an official Shanghai planting of 500 bulbs.

This new addition complements the hosts' own floral developments, as a newly-developed bloom has also been added to the pot (a Guzmania species for any plant nerds out there), with petals boasting the same fiery red color as China’s Expo Pavilion. The more the better we guess, as China's pavilion is expected to house approximately 100,000 flower pots in total.

Tags: Shanghai Expo, made in China, haibao

Shanghai Expo: Should we slow down in the build up?

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 04:03:49 +0000

As things gear up for the Shanghai Expo opening, one newspaper says it may be time to slow things down a touch

With less than 50 days until the big opening, the Global Times has called out to the Shanghai Expo crew to resist the urge for perfection and to "take it easy." This, it says, will allow the city to live up to its theme of ‘Better City, Better Life’. “After all, as 159 years of tradition indicate, the Expo is merely a big global party for people to enjoy the fun brought by modern civilization,” it declares.

It's not a message that the construction crews have heard though. Just when Shanghai locals thought their construction-mare was coming to an end, the city's plans to build a Maglev airport extension have fired into action. This speedy railway would link opposite ends of Hongqiao and Pudong International airports in a trimmed-down 20-minute crossing, down from an average 90 minutes by rail and minimum one hour by car -- and we mean bare minimum. Official construction dates have yet to be announced.

But this is just one of many essential cogs in the future Maglev empire (insert Dr Evil maniacal laughter here), which also includes plans for a proposed inter-airport line to the nearby city of Hangzhou (Zhejiang Province) by 2014. However, local netizens, after crunching some very disturbing numbers, aren’t so convinced. Some have begun to ask, "When is enough, enough?"

An online net posting “Shanghai-Hangzhou Maglev Project Costs Tens of Billions of Yuan but Only Saves 10 Minutes" has posed another question for others: "Does Shanghai have too much money?" The post started a wave of criticism comparing speeds from a variety of current rail connections, with netizens questioning its overall need and use of funds, an estimated RMB 35 billion (excluding maintenance and operating costs).

Tags: Shanghai traffic, Shanghai Expo

Jenny Ji: When East-meets-West becomes a lifestyle fashion brand

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 03:57:29 +0000

CNNGo talks with Shanghainese designer Jenny Ji about how she has taken the East-meets-West concept a step further, to create a modern Chinese lifestyle brand

It has been eight years since native Shanghainese designer Jenny Ji launched her fashion label La Vie in Tianzifang, the city’s creative hub at Taikang Road. We catch up with the popular fashion pioneer and mother-to-be, to discuss runway trends (and disregarding them), her signature cosmopolitan style and fusing Chinese tradition with a Western aesthetic.

Shanghai was a fashion center at the beginning of 1920s, and it’s still a very fashionable city. People can accept a lot of things -- it doesn’t matter if it’s from the West or East, or from other Asian cities which is great.

— Jenny Ji, Shanghai designer

CNNGo: Describe the La Vie look.

Jenny Ji:

We’re creating not only fashion, but also a modern Chinese lifestyle brand. We’ve set up a bridal line, and we’re launching lingerie in March and homeware a bit after that. We want to bring out more things with Chinese culture and modern design that are wearable, fashionable and designed for Chinese people’s lives.

CNNGo: So how big will La Vie become?

Jenny Ji:

It doesn’t matter how big we’re going to be, but the important thing is we want to design this kind of lifestyle brand. It’s my personal passion.

Every time we recreate our design concepts, our inspiration comes from a piece of Chinese culture. This year’s winter fashion collection was based on peacock feathers, which are used in many Shanghai homes for decoration.

CNNGo: Unlike many Shanghai designers, your label is popular not only in Shanghai, but also in international markets like Paris and Stockholm. What’s the secret?

Jenny Ji:

We’ve insisted on having our own style. Journalists always ask me about what’s popular for next season, and I say I don’t know because I don’t really care. [Laughs.] We pick colors based on the symbols we use in China, not what everyone else thinks is popular.

CNNGo: What inspired your wedding collection that created such a buzz during October’s Shanghai Fashion Week?

Jenny Ji:

The idea fror the collection came about because a lot of my customers asked me, “Jenny I really like your dresses, why don’t you make a wedding gown for my wedding?” I said “Okay, let me try.” The problem is, I don’t like most wedding gowns. In China, girls wear dresses with huge, shiny skirts, and most brides end up looking the same. You can’t remember who wore what; the dresses don’t show the girls’ personality. I wanted to design something that’s simple, and lets you show your own style.

CNNGo: You’re also known as an ethical fashion label and designer. Are eco-friendly fabrics used for the wedding collection as well?

Jenny Ji:

Yes, they are. When I started this label, I insisted on eco-friendly materials because not many Chinese designers were using organic fabric. It’s very comfortable and you can feel the difference. We want La Vie to be an environmentally friendly brand, but from the business side, we also think this is the future.

CNNGo: What is Shanghai style to you?

Jenny Ji:

CNNGo: What’s next for Jenny Ji?

Jenny Ji:

I’m having a baby in soon and we’re designing a limited-edition mother and baby set next spring summer. It will be based on a "blue tiger" China design.

Jenny Ji’s Shanghai style tips:
1. Start with simple attire and build from there to make your own personal style. Dressing all in red, or putting on Shanghai Tang clothing doesn’t mean you have Shanghai style.
2. Delicate style is always good for women. Add some traditional Chinese colors or traditional accessories like earrings or a bracelet -- style is all in the details.
3. Whatever you wear, find inspiration from old Shanghai.

getting there

Jenny Ji: Le Vie
Courtyard 7, Lane 210, Taikang Lu, near Sinan Lu
泰康路201弄7号, 近思南路
tel +86 21 6445 3585

306 Changle Lu, near Ruijin Lu
长乐路306号, 近瑞金一路
tel +86 21 6384 7378

102, Zone C7, Red Town, 570 Huaihai Xi Lu, near Kaixuan Lu
红坊国际文化艺术社区, 淮海西路570号C7地带102室, 近凯旋路
tel +86 21 6282 5036

Tags: Shanghai designers, jenny ji, fashion designers, Chinese fashion, Asian designers

Shanghai's most literary locales

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 02:45:00 +0000

With the Shanghai International Literary Festival in full swing, we pick out the Shanghai locations that have inspired authors

Shanghai’s rich history and romantic backdrops have long inspired writers to pick up their pens. It’s not surprising that the city’s buildings, cafes and parks surface in works from foreign and local authors alike. In the spirit of the Shanghai International Literary Festival, we’ve come up with five of our favorite local literary haunts.

Holy Trinity Cathedral

During the days of the international settlement, British novelist J.G. Ballard attended the prestigious boys’ school affiliated with this church. The historic red brick site may be where Ballard gained some of his inspiration for "Empire of the Sun," says Derek Sandhaus, chief editor at Earnshaw Books. “It’s an autobiographical work, but the character in the book isn’t called J.G.,” Sandhaus explains.

The book, which later became a Steven Spielberg movie, follows Ballard’s coming of age in Shanghai’s colonial era, followed by his internment during the Japanese invasion.
Corner of Jiujiang Lu and Jiangxi Lu, 九江路和江西路

Changde Apartments

Writer Eileen Chang of “Lust, Caution” fame once lived in this art deco apartment building near Jing’an Temple. In room 65, she wrote a series of novels including “Love in a Fallen City” and “Record of a Golden Yoke.” She also worked from a cafe in the lobby, now called Colorful Cafe, which displays Chang’s works and plays old Shanghai music.

Today, the book-lined cafe attracts Chang fans such as Kelly Ye, 20, a Shanghai resident who recently made a pilgrimage to honor her favorite writer. “Eileen Chang represents Shanghai,” Ye says. “Plus, this is a good place to come with friends for a coffee.”
195 Changde Lu, near Yuyuan Lu 常德路195号, 近豫园路 +86 21 6249 9006

North China Daily News

British journalist Ralph Shaw, the author of “Sin City,” is just one of the many writers who passed through the former headquarters of this English-language newspaper. “In the pre-PRC days, it was probably the most important English language newspaper in China,” Sandhaus says.

Shaw wrote “Sin City” based on his coverage of Shanghai for the newspaper, as well as his experience as a Japanese prisoner of war. The newspaper moved into its Bund headquarters in 1924 and stayed there until closing in 1951.
17 on the Bund, 中山东一路17号/外滩17号

Former Foreigner YMCA building

“I like to see places I’ve read about in books,” says Tina Kanagaratnam, an organizer of the Shanghai International Literary Festival. Every time Kanagaratnam goes past the old YMCA building on Nanjing Lu, her thoughts turn to the Nien Cheng’s autobiography “Life and Death in Shanghai.” In the book, the daughter allegedly commits suicide by jumping from the building’s windowsill, but her mother later questions the claim realizing there wasn’t enough room on the ledge to stand. “Every time I go by, I can’t help but look up at the window and think about that moment,” Kanagaratnam says.
150 Nanjing Xi Lu, near People’s Square 南京西路150号, 近人民广场

Huangpu Park

This swatch of green near the North Bund appears in many of the popular Inspector Chen detective novels. Author Qiu Xiaolong, who grew up in Shanghai, features the city prominently in his works, and Huangpu Park is a popular backdrop.

In “A Loyal Character Dancer,” for example, the park is the site of several killings that Chen must investigate. “The park frequently comes in and out of his novels,” says Kanagaratnam. “It’s easy for me to picture when I’m reading because the Huangpu Park is somewhere I’ve been to a lot.”
North Bund, overlooking Huangpu River

Tickets to the 2010 Shanghai International Literary Festival Sessions are on sale now at Mypiao.com. Find the full schedule of the events, and a list of attending authors on the festival site.

Click here for more article on the Shanghai International Listerary Festival; here for more articles on historic Shanghai.

Tags: shanghai parks, Shanghai International Literary Festival, shanghai buildings, historic shanghai

The English are invading China, linguistically at least

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 08:23:35 +0000

From charitable to culturally threatening, the news seems to be all abuzz these days with the many sounds of English, its admirers, or lack thereof

To start off on a positive note, locally-based language training company, Wall Street English, has officially announced its English training sponsorship for 2010 World Expo volunteers.

Although essential for the likes of World Expo, not everyone’s stoked by English’s rapidly growing role in modern China. Huang Youyi, chairman of the International Federation of Translators, warns of the full-on ‘invasion’ of English words slipping into everyday use, endangering both the purity and future of the Chinese language. And he’s not stopping short of a whine, having presented proposals to government higher-ups to ban local publications from using English names, places, people and companies.

Not everyone agrees including linguistic researcher Gu Yuego, who sees word borrowing as an unstoppable global phenomenon and positive sign of the times. “Our Coke-drinking, Nike-wearing youth is undoubtedly still Chinese, but it has a broader mind and greater knowledge about other countries and cultures."

And yet somewhere stuck in-between, Zuo Likun (of China Daily), too, notes the importance of not forgetting one’s ‘cultural treasure at home’ (Chinese language), yet remarks on his country’s ‘weird’ and perhaps too casual love affair with English calling it “…all but a fashion, a new flame, a plaything to parade, the same as a Louis Vuitton bag for an itching nouveau riche”.

Although hailing his (millions of) English-learning comrades for opening their minds and mouths to the world, Zuo urges his countrymen to be more self-critical using the English language as a tool, not a toy while bashing outdated and ineffective teaching methods producing nothing more than intermittent dribbles and ‘parrot-criers’. Ouch.

Tags: English language, Chinese language

Martin Berasategui: China is the most important part of my journey as a chef

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 05:57:34 +0000

As 3-star Michelin chef Martin Berasategui offers tapas for the masses at his Restaurant Martin, we hear from the man himself on why he chose China for his first non-Euro venture

Martin Berasategui's first non-European restaurant, Restaurant Martin, may be out of reach for many Shanghailanders, with set menus and traditional tapas starting at US$100 a head. But head along to the Xuhui Park restaurant on Thursdays between 5.30 pm and 9 pm until April 15 and you'll be able to enjoy this three-Michelin-star chef's special tapas creations for just RMB 100 per person.

In honor of this delicious deal, we wanted to give you a peek into the man himself. We spoke to Martin Berasategui when he was in Shanghai for the grand opening of his Restaurant Martin, where the kitchen is overseen by his two young protégés, the 25-year-olds Yago Márquez and Maxime Fanton. Here are his thoughts on how he came to open up shop here and what his ambitions are for this landmark venture.

CNNGo: How did you first get the idea to open in Shanghai?

Martin Berasategui:

Several years ago, I met a Chinese man who came to my restaurant every time he visited Spain. I found out he loved my kitchen and we became good friends. Later, he asked me if I would be interested in coming to China and opening a restaurant. So that’s how I came here and discovered China. First he was my client, then he became my friend, and now, even more -- one of my business partners.

CNNGo: Do you feel any pressure from expectations of you as three-star Michelin chef?

Martin Berasategui:

I just continue working and my philosophy is to have as much fun as possible.

CNNGo: Are you creating a new menu specifically for China?

Martin Berasategui:

Some of the recipes are the same as in Spain and we try to keep them as normal as possible and there are other recipes we are developing especially for this restaurant.

We have spent five months [before the opening] just finding all kinds of ingredients. During that time, my two chefs here sent me products every week and told me what they can find here. Then, in Spain, we did the creative work using the products they could get in China and coming up with ideas. Every week we connected through Skype and I would tell the chefs all the new things we were making in the creative process. So we feel although we are far apart in one way, we really are not too far.

Some of the recipes are the same as in Spain and we try to keep them as normal as possible and there are other recipes we are developing especially for [Restaurant Martin].

— Martin Berasategui

CNNGo: Will you continue to do this kind of 'Skype consulting' for the menu?

Martin Berasategui:

This is something we will continue to do very often because I like to keep my 'family' close to me. We will continue with Internet and Skype and all the technology we can use. For all the Martins that I have [his restaurants], the only way to be close to family is through constant communication.

CNNGo: What type of client do you think you will attract at Restaurant Martin?

Martin Berasategui:

I would like this restaurant to be like a landmark in this city, of course for the Chinese people, but also for people around the world.

CNNGo: What is is the most exciting part of opening a restaurant here?

Martin Berasategui:

I’m very excited because this is the first time I’m going out of Europe to open a restaurant. When I was very young and just running around in the town of San Sebastian I could never have imagined that at 49 years old I could open something like this!

I’m very proud that I can make a bridge from Spain to China. Five years ago I would never believe anyone saying that I could have a restaurant in China. Now, the fact that I came to the restaurant here and saw my name in the front on the sign, and saw all the staff here working for me in this wonderful place -- it's truly amazing and unbelievable. After 35 and a half years in the kitchen, the one most important part of my journey as a chef is this restaurant in China.

getting there

Restaurant Martin by Martin Berasategui
811 Hengshan Lu, near Zhaojiabang Lu, in Xujiahui Park
衡山路811号, 近肇嘉浜路, 徐家汇公园内
tel +86 21 6431 6639, +86 21 6431 9811
www.restaurantmartin.com.cn

Tags: spanish tapas, Shanghai fine dining, Michelin rated, Martin Berasategui, dining events

Places to avoid when hungover in Shanghai

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 04:15:55 +0000

You know that St Patrick's Day is going to leave you with a case of the brown bottle flu, so make a pledge to avoid these city locales for everyone's sake, especially your own

Saint Patrick’s Day is just around the corner, and this all-day-all-night drink-athon has been known to turn more than a few saints into sinners. It’s even become acceptable to shirk work on this day in order to find your "Irish roots" (we're all Irish on St Patrick's Day, remember?). But the more you drink on the day of, that much worse the next day will be. With this in mind, we present to you the four worst places to go in Shanghai on that fateful morning after.

1. Shanghai Metro Lines 1 and 2

Being hungover is bad enough when you’re alone in bed curled up under the covers hoping for a quick death. But it is that much worse when you’re surrounded by a seething mass of strangers who also appear completely pissed off about the fact they are awake and are screaming into their cell phones for no apparent reason. The only way to weather this storm is to stand still, close your eyes, and pray that the gods grant you the fortitude to control your gag reflex until you reach your stop. For your sake we hope you're not getting out at the transit mess and fire hazard that is People's Square station.

2. Any of the fake markets, especially Qipu Lu

Your friends’ voices over brunch can be hard enough to tolerate when you’re hungover, so at the fake markets when the fiftieth vendor in a row runs up, grabs your arm, and starts yelling in ambiguous tones of potential excitement, anger, or fear, “Watch, bag, DVD! I give you friend price! Come with me, NOW,” well, it can bring out the worst in anyone.

Jim, a five-year veteran of Shanghai’s markets, recounted a tale of the time he simply couldn’t take it any longer. “This guy repeatedly grabbed my shirt and I had repeatedly swatted away his hand, but he followed me for over five minutes. Finally, I lost it. I grabbed him by the collar and began yelling ‘Watch, bag, DVD!’ back at him. I lost my temper like that and I felt fine, I’m not sure how I would cope there if I was recovering from a hard night.”

3. Carrefour, especially anytime there is a sale on cooking oil

While Shanghai’s numerous outdoor wet markets are infamous havens for noisy crowds of combative ayis and species of land and sea creatures that science has yet to classify, Carrefour one-ups them by bringing the cacophony indoors -- and adding home appliances and everything else under the sun.

While the weekend and just after would be an obvious times to avoid this place, also take special note of times when there are sales on cooking oil. Seriously. In the words of long-time Shanghailander Jeff Ouyang, “Sometimes the checkout lines back up way into the aisles of the actual store. There have been no less than four occasions when while waiting in line I simply abandoned a fully loaded cart of things that I really needed and just left the store because it was so crazy.”
www.carrefour.com.cn

4. Your office

This may seem like a cheap addition to this article, as there are offices everywhere in the world, but bear with us. Offices in Shanghai are by far the world's worst offices when it comes to dealing with a hangover.

For starters, a much smaller proportion of the local population drinks heavily on a regular basis compared to Western countries, so your co-workers are less likely to understand let alone be sympathetic to you in your deteriorated state. Then, in a dynamic developing market like China, you can be sure that few things run on auto-pilot, so forget about hiding at your desk without having to engage with others. And don’t even begin to think about the ridiculous techno song the accounts guy has as his ringtone that he doesn't answer for a good 30 seconds, just so he can listen to his new song.

Tags: Shanghai metro, Shanghai markets, Saint Patrick's Day, holiday shanghai, hangover, drinking culture

Love & Other Catastrophes: Conquering China's young-love taboo

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 22:57:45 +0000

Two Shanghai students discover creative ways to overcome the status quo and create a life together

Enid Chen and Michael Wu were walking home together from their Shanghai high school when a classmate spotted them and reported their transgression to the principal.

Their crime? Holding hands.

In Shanghai, teachers and parents widely prohibit dating in high school, urging students to study instead. But for Enid and Michael, their first love was worth a little sneaking around.

"I’d always known she was the girl I wanted. All I wanted was for her to be happy."

— Michael Wu

A chance encounter

The two met nearly ten years ago when they were 16-year-old students, learning hammering techniques in a Shanghai factory. As part of the Shanghai curriculum, students spend a short stint in a factory or farm to acquire life skills.

Since school policy outlawed dating, they limited their relationship to walking together to and from school. After their classmate tattled on them that day, the principal called them into the school office with their parents, and forbade them from dating.

Their families also warned them to stop, but the couple just got more creative. When Michael would meet Enid in the mornings to walk together, he’d hide in a secret nook so her mother couldn’t spot him from the window.

Once they were admitted to colleges, they could be together openly. But distance replaced school regulations as their separating obstacle. Michael attended a university two hours from Shanghai.

Uni isn’t the answer

Along with studying, Michael was staying up late at night to become one of the top 10 warriors nationwide in a popular video game. When Enid called in tears one evening over her pet’s death, Michael was so sleep-deprived that he fell asleep on the phone.

“That’s the one thing I regret in my life. Not being there for her that night,” he says.

Battle-weary times aside, Michael was a gentleman, holding doors and treating Enid like a lady -- behaviors other college boys hadn’t learned yet, she says. At Enid’s request, Michael even stopped playing basketball and listening to hip-hop music.

“I was well-educated by her at an early age,” Michael says, laughing.

Moving into adulthood

When they turned 22, the two heeded Enid’s mother’s advice. She urged them to get married early and work on their careers together, with mutual support. Enid, now 26, works as a graphic designer while Michael, 26, is in marketing research.

“Before I met him, I wasn’t outgoing or confident,” Enid says. “But he told me that I was pretty, smart and well-liked and then I started to believe it.”

“I’d always known she was the girl I wanted,” Michael says. “All I wanted was for her to be happy.”

But, after several years of marriage, the restrictive patterns created in the couples’ youth started to frustrate Michael. One November day, when Enid asked Michael to get off the computer and help her clean, he snapped.

“I always followed her instructions and did whatever she wanted,” he says. “This was my chance to do something so she wouldn’t take me for granted and listen to my needs.”

Angry, he left the house with just a credit card and did not return for two days. While Michael camped out in a motel and an Internet café, Enid sat in the same red chair and watched the sky turn from black to light and then fade to dark again. When he finally came home, they discussed their dynamics and how they could improve their relationship.

“I realized how important he is to me,” Enid says. “It changed my life perspective.”

Now, the two spend their weekends watching television in their spacious two-bedroom apartment, playing with their cats, shopping and visiting their parents. They’re not ready to have children yet, focusing instead on their careers and building a life together.

Enid says their relationship’s progress from young love to mature love is like the levels of a video game, a metaphor that makes her gamer husband smile: “We’re working through the levels of life together.”

Tags: Love and other catastrophes, love affair, college students, chinese students

The world’s shortest man, China’s He Pingping, dies

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 06:20:09 +0000

The 27in record holder died in Rome on Saturday after chest complaints

We recently reported on a China vs Nepal all-out battle for the title of the world’s shortest man (actually, the worlds shortest man who can walk), but in the end it looks like that contest will be easily won by Nepal’s Khagendra Thapa Magar, 18, as China’s He Pingping (何平平), the reigning world record holder, has died.

At a mere 74.6cm (2ft 5in) tall, He Pingping (何平平), 21, died in Rome, according to the BBC, while filming a television program called “The Record Show.”

He Pingping (何平平) was admitted to hospital two weeks ago after suffering a chest complaint and died on Saturday. However his death has only just been released to the press.

With China losing out on a bronze Olympic gymnastics medal from 2000 within the last two weeks too, after it was found that Dong Fangxiao was two years younger than the minimum age requirement, Chinese titleholders appear to be falling by the wayside. Now the question is, can Khagendra Thapa Magar adequately fill the shoes of his predecessor?

Tags: world records, He Pingping, Guinness World Record

Guilty pleasure: Les Lucioles' vintage bags

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 05:57:16 +0000

Les Lucioles’s vintage leather bags are well worth the extra trip to confession

You might remember Les Lucioles’ fashionable but hard to find store at the former abattoir-cum-mall 1933. Thankfully they've just moved their fabulous boutique downtown, and, sadly for our wallet, just down the block from the CNNGo office.

Les Lucioles didn’t forget a thing, making sure all their unique women’s clothes and accessories made it to the new Jinxian Lu store. However, the items that caught our eye most were Les Lucioles' new vintage bags.

Owners Sandra and Nathalie told us they picked up these vintage leather bags during their last trip to Paris. Not accepting that it’s enough to sell sweet Parisian vintage goods, they brought in Sichuan-born, locally based designer Mora Wong to add a modern Shanghai touch to the purses.

Going for a hefty RMB 2,200 these bags are expensive, but considering how fast they're selling it looks like local shoppers know a good vintage deal when they see one.

getting there

Les Lucioles
203 Jinxian Lu, near Shanxi Lu
进贤路203号, 近陕西南路
tel +86 21 6513 5110
www.les-lucioles.net

Tags: vintage shopping, vintage bags, vintage accessories, Les Lucioles