The story appears on

Page B6

June 17, 2015

GET this page in PDF

Free for subscribers

View shopping cart

Related News

Home » Feature

Famed antique market welcomes last visitors as destruction looms

WITH the final days of the Dongtai Road Antique Market now at hand, customers and collectors are busy combing through its remaining stalls for souvenirs, last-minute bargains and, perhaps, overlooked treasures.

By now, many of the market’s stalls have been closed or demolished. Everywhere, one can see the large Chinese character chai, meaning “dismantle” or “remove.”

According to a posted notice, the market has long been occupying the road illegally and represents a serious risk to traffic safety.

The work of removing and clearing the market began on May 1 and is scheduled to run through July 31. By August, a portion of the road is set to be restored. A vendor at the market surnamed Ma, who has been selling art and curios for over 30 years, has chosen to relocate to nearby Yuyuan Garden. Ma is reluctant to leave the market though, which dates back to the early 1980s.

From humble beginnings, Dongtai Road grew into one of Shanghai’s premier tourist attractions, being listed in numerous guidebooks. In some travel books, the market is billed as one of the city’s can’t-miss destinations, along with other famed landmarks such as the Jade Buddha Temple and Yuyuan Garden.




 

Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.

沪公网安备 31010602000204号

Email this to your friend