Shanghai's fake market is AP Plaza in Pudong, and the first price is always fiction.
Shanghai's fake market is AP Plaza, an underground warren of stalls at Science and Technology Museum station in Pudong, open daily from about 10am to 8pm. Expect handbags, watches, sneakers, sunglasses and silk scarves, and remember the one rule that governs the whole place: the first price is fiction. Come with cash, open at 10 to 20 percent of whatever they quote, stay friendly, and be ready to walk.
Where the fake market is, and how to get there
AP Plaza (also signed as AP Xinyang Fashion and Gifts Market, 亚太盛汇) sits underground at Science and Technology Museum station on Metro Line 2, in Pudong. Take the metro and follow the signs from Exit 7 or 8, and you walk straight into the market without surfacing, which is why first-timers often miss it from the street. It runs daily, roughly 10am to 8pm, with a handful of stalls staying open later. Pin it in Amap before you go, and our guide to getting around Shanghai without a car covers the metro basics if Line 2 is new to you.
It is a maze of small booths selling replica and lookalike goods, so go in knowing what you want. Weekday mornings are calmest and give you the most bargaining power; weekends are a scrum, and vendors hold their prices when the aisles are full.
The one rule of haggling: the first price is fiction
Haggling at AP Plaza is the whole experience, and the opening number is theatre. A vendor will quote a price several times what they will actually take, hand you a calculator, and wait. Your job is to come in low, around 10 to 20 percent of that first figure, then meet somewhere in the middle. Stay warm and a little amused, never aggressive. The single most powerful move is to smile, say it is too much, and start walking; a real price often arrives before you reach the next stall.
The first price at AP Plaza is fiction, and your only job is to find the real one underneath it.
Pay in cash where you can, because notes give you leverage a phone does not: peeling off the exact amount you are offering and holding it out is more persuasive than any speech. Most stalls do take WeChat Pay and Alipay too, which is handy once you have agreed, but a fold of real cash is still the better opening weapon.
What is worth buying, and what to skip
At a Shanghai fake market the safe buys are the simple, low-tech things: plain leather-look handbags, canvas totes, silk and cashmere-blend scarves, sunglasses, belts, phone cases and small gifts to take home. Sneakers and watches are popular too, with the usual caveat that quality is a lottery, so check stitching, zips and weight before you commit. Several stalls also do fast tailoring, a copied suit or coat run up in a day or two, which can be genuinely good value if you are not in a hurry.
What to skip: anything electronic (cables, earbuds, power banks), skincare and cosmetics, and memory cards, where the fake is often simply broken rather than merely unofficial. If you want the real thing secondhand instead, our guide to buying preloved designer in Shanghai is the honest alternative, with authentication built in.
How to shop smart, and not get stung
A few habits keep a fun afternoon fun. Inspect before you pay: open every zip, work every clasp, and check a watch actually runs, because returns here are a conversation, not a policy. Count your change, keep your wallet out of sight and carry only what you plan to spend, the same street sense you would use at any busy market. Know what you are buying: these are replicas, a legal gray area, and carrying obvious fakes through customs on the way home can mean they are seized, so buy for yourself and keep it modest.
And haggle in good humor. Vendors do this all day and respect a buyer who plays the game with a smile, so a little Mandarin (太贵了, 便宜点) and a laugh will get you further than a hard stare ever will.
Good to know
- Good for: first-timers and visitors hunting bags, scarves, sunglasses and gifts, and anyone who enjoys a good haggle.
- Where: AP Plaza, underground at Science and Technology Museum station, Metro Line 2, Pudong. Follow signs from Exit 7 or 8.
- Hours and cash: daily about 10am to 8pm. Bring cash for leverage; most stalls also take WeChat Pay.
- Make the most of it: go on a weekday morning, open at 10 to 20 percent of the first price, inspect before you pay, and be ready to walk.
Where is the fake market in Shanghai?
The main one is AP Plaza, underground at Science and Technology Museum station on Metro Line 2 in Pudong. Follow the signs from Exit 7 or 8 and you walk straight in. It is open daily from about 10am to 8pm, and weekday mornings are the quietest time to bargain.
How much should I offer at AP Plaza?
Open at roughly 10 to 20 percent of the first price the vendor quotes, then settle somewhere in the middle. As a rough guide, a handbag that starts at ¥400 to ¥800 often lands around ¥100 to ¥200 (about USD 15 to 30). Smile, stay friendly, and walking away is your strongest move.
Can I pay by WeChat Pay at the fake market?
Yes, most stalls take WeChat Pay and Alipay, but cash still gives you more bargaining power. Peeling off the exact notes you are offering and holding them out is more persuasive than tapping a phone, so bring cash to open and use the apps once a price is agreed.
Is it legal to buy fakes at AP Plaza?
Buying replicas for personal use is a legal gray area in China and the market operates openly, but these are counterfeit goods. The real risk comes later: carrying obvious fakes through customs on your way home can see them seized, so keep purchases modest and for your own use.
What is worth buying at a Shanghai fake market?
Simple, low-tech items are the safe buys: leather-look bags, scarves, sunglasses, belts and small gifts. Sneakers, watches and fast tailoring can be good value if you inspect quality first. Skip electronics, memory cards and cosmetics, where a fake is more likely to be broken than merely unofficial.
Sun Tzu wrote in the Art of War, 知己知彼，百战不殆, know yourself and know the other and you will never be in danger. Walk in knowing the real price and your own limit, and the vendor's opening number loses all its power.
Words, maps and research by the Choice Shanghai team. Please credit us and tag our 公众号 if you share.
