Shanghai Old Street

Also on Chenxiangge Lu is the endlessly fascinating curio shop, the Seal Military, which stocks a variety of Mao memorabilia. A few minutes' walk west, the Fuyou Lu Mosque is one of the oldest surviving buildings in the area, and the oldest mosque in the city.

Consisting of three interconnecting halls in traditional Chinese style, it was built in 1870 and reopened in 1979.

South of the Yu Gardens, the street known to locals as Fangbang Zhong Lu is marketed to visitors as Shanghai Old Street. It is a picturesque alley of two-story shop-houses, some of which may be old but most of which were renovated when the street was given a tourist-friendly makeover at the turn of the millennium.

Shanghai Old Street is lined with antique, curio and craft stores. Fuyou Lu is home to a lively antiques market housed on the north side in the Cang Bao Building, just before the pailou, or ceremonial arch, that frames the street.

The market comes alive at weekends, and especially on Sundays, with an astounding array of antiques and knick-knacks spread over its four levels. It’s best to get there early as many stallholders pack up mid afternoon. Bargaining is expected.