Xiangyang's last days of business

Yvonne Zhang, Shanghai Star, 2006-6-29

In the last days of Xiangyang Market, hawkers are facing an uncertain future as they make their final sales of 10- yuan (US$1.2) "Ralph Lauren" shirts, 20-yuan "Chanel" sunglasses and 30-yuan "uma" shoes.

With Xiangyang Market closing on June 30, the shop owners were anxious about life afterwards. Many, who were busy yelling at the top of their voices to sell their goods, would only give curt answers to such questions as "where are you moving?"

Most have found new venues for their shops. Some are busy giving out new business cards. "We are moving to Fuxing Road. That location is permanent. As long as Shanghai exists, my shop will be there," said a woman in a shop packed with underwear and children's clothes.

Some are moving to an indoor market at the intersection of West Nanjing Road and North Chengdu Road.

"We are moving to Longhua. A new market will be open there. The government will only re-locate people who moved from Xiangyang Market to Huating Road, either in Longhua or in Pudong, somewhere called 'Xin Guomao,'" said a man with the surname Wang, as the reporter followed him to see "brand-name bags and watches." "It doesn't matter if you don't buy. Just come over and have a look."

Wang is not a full-time hawker. He has a formal shop in the market. A small door is open, leading shoppers to a secret cabin where "A-products" --in this case "LV" bags -- were displayed.

"Neither of the new venues have convenient transportation and business won't be as good as here."

"Copy my mobile phone number, and bring your foreign friends to me," Wang said. "You don't have to go all the way to Longhua. We have a storeroom on Nanchang Road. That part won't be dismantled. You can still buy these things in the downtown area."

Fashion Frontier, a shop featuring bags of original design near the gate of Xiangyang Market, refuses to sell its products for even lower prices in the last days of the market, even though the shop owners said "We are not moving anywhere. Business is too diffi cult. I will quit." High on the wall in the shop, a certificate hangs honouring the shop as a "star shop of Xiangyang Market" in the year 2004.

A few hawkers go through the busy crowd of shoppers, trying to lure them to their storerooms in dark lanes near the market. "We will move to the Gubei area, but business won't be so easy," a young vendor said. " Without the market, authorities come after fake products frequently and we can hardly do business.  usiness will be diffi cult without this market."

Show of resolve

The closure of Shanghai's famous market for fake goods was spurred by complaints the local government received bout the prevalence of fake products and pestering hawkers in the market. To show Shanghai's resolve in protecting intellectual property, the government has decided to close the market.

Moreover, a wet market, restaurants and the Shanghai No.2 Foods Store which are all found near the market are also to be dismantled.

An expanded metro station will be built on the site of the market. In addition, Hong Kong property giant Sun Hung Kai Group purchased the land for 3.6 billion yuan (US$443 million) from another developer and is planning to turn it into an "APM" complex, in which shops open until very late, according to the Shanghai Business News. APM stands for "am plus pm."