Shanghai - where fantasy meets reality

China, with its overcrowded cities, has lots to offer. Now, I come from Romania, a former communist country, but Shanghai doesn’t fell like a communist city at all. Of course everything is mainly grey and you see the army guys in clubs, on the streets, but you are treated like a royal.
When I think of the city, Shanghai fake market comes to mind. The market from the Science and Technology Museum metro station is the best place to put into action your negotiating skills and is a learning place on life lessons for how fiction and reality is presented and mixed in front of you. In their opinion, the merchandise is not fake, is just “copy original”, letting you decide what you believe.
To arrive there, take the metro to the Science and Technology Museum station. Exit and a new world unveils in front of you. You can take a so called guide that can show you the shops that you are interested in, or you can manage on your own. First time I’ve been there I believe I was in a fantasy world, so I took a guide. It was fun.
Here is where reality and fiction intertwine. He asked me where I came from and to my surprise he knew about Romania, later finding out that the guides know something about each country in order to relate with you. In the shops there aren’t any prices shown, so everything is up for negotiation. The vendors are telling you an unrealistic price when you first ask them and then are reducing it according to your negotiating skills. A tip, when you are not happy with the final price, is to get out of the store and told them that you will find the goods at another store. They will follow you and invite you back and renegotiate some more.
The guide showed me some expensive goods as well, for example Rolex watches that were kept into a diplomat, stored in the back of the store. I felt like dealing with mafia in the movies, but because I could not afford it, the deal was off.
At the end of my experience the guide gave me a Montblanc pen.
We all have our own view regarding the fake goods that are invading our daily lives but the fake market is truly an experience, even if you do not wish to buy anything. I recommend the clothes and the bags and stay away from electronics. My goods: the Montblanc pen broke in 3 months, the USB was not copying files and the clothes are still wearable. For me the prices were lower than for a German guy I met because I was willing to negotiate more.
So you decide, but remember that the prices are made to fit you.