Nanjing Xi Lu fake market is closing
The Nanjing Xi Lu Fake Market, also known as ‘Taobao city’ or ‘Han city’ or 'that place where you get all the knock-off bags', will be closing its doors to visitors at the end of June. If you are nifty at bargaining, this might be your last chance to grab some cheap goods at the market, which sells a wide range of merchandise from fashion to electronics to toys - not that Time Out condones buying anything that isn't 100 percent legit, of course.
There was no stated reason for the impending closure, though that's probably for diplomatic reasons. Several stall owners told us that it was because business there was bad, while another said he has no clue but that the authorities had asked them to. The latter seems like more of a reason, given the site's infamous reputation for selling 'name brand' products at cut prices.
A notice on a shuttered stall on the first floor still reminds stall owners to refrain from selling bags, wallets and sunglasses on the first two storeys, and asks them to cooperate before the mall's 'transformation' in July 2016.
Some of the stall owners we spoke to had no plans for where they were intending to set up shop again, but others have already made plans to move to the International Pearl Market and the metro station at the Science and Technology Museum - the latter having taken over as one of Shanghai's go-to spots for knock-off goods following the closure of Xiangyang Market to make way for the iAPM mall.
When we visited Taobao City earlier this week, some stalls were already packing up to move out, so visitors planning a final visit to snag some bargains should do it soon.
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