Chengdu Shopping (Part One)

A Sichuan tour guide once told me that Sichuan women are much sought after for their beauty. To maintain this reputation, a good sense of fashion is paramount.

If you're ever in Chengdu, China, you'd stand witness to this testament. The ladies and gents do dress up, some say more so than their counterparts in other provinces of the country.

Chengdu Shopping

The main shopping district in Chengdu is at Chun Xi Lu (Chun Xi Rd).

You shouldn't miss this one!

Nor this one:

Now this is why my kinddy teacher always reminded us to keep a space between words. At one glace, I read this as " I LUST STATION "! Sure as heck caught my eye! Hmm..maybe that's the real reason it was printed that way. There's a  subway station near Ito Yokado, named "Chun Xi Lu-Station".

 

Now, this ain't your typical imitation-goods' shopping district. There are quite a handful of brands here, albeit local brands, and prices are rather steep!

The many shops on Chun Xi Lu. Knock yourself out!

 Croc-oh-die! 
This looked like some "Lacoste" wannabe. As I was saying, this is not your typical imitation-goods shopping district. It's creative shopping!

I went during the change of the autumn-winter season. Coming from the equator where it's hot! hot! 247, needless to say my main shopping purpose were for COATS and BOOTS!

Alas! To my dismay, gorgeous looking trench winter coats were going for between RMB500-RMB1,000 (MYR250-MYR500) which completely changed my perception that China shopping equates cheap shopping!! *disappointed*

Working blouses are also priced from RMB200 onwards.

Shoes and boots are priced from approximately RMB200 onwards.

I must add that prices are fixed in these shops.

At this point I was getting desperate to buy something, anything! Then suddenly, in the middle of the not-so-quiet street, like an angel being sent from Heaven, Just Jeans beckoned to me.
(I'm not sure if this is the same Just Jeans that is available in Australia though).

And it is here that my shopping fix was fulfilled!! *jumps with joy*
I got myself a white waterproof jacket for RMB100 (MYR50) and a black long coat for also RMB100! Now that's what I call having a shopping high!!

Whilst still on a roll, I discovered "A.Yilian" (www.ayilian.com). A.Yilian has a chain of stores across China and sells very Korean kawaii (cute-sy) clothes. Think frills, frocks and pretty bubble gum pink and baby blue. I couldn't resist yet another trench in reddish-brown tweed for RMB358 (approx. MYR175).

Get your dose of kawaii bubble gum sweetness here..err..minus the guy standing outside the store. Or grab him too, if you can!

Ok, so I splurged a teensy weeny bit. Feeling guilty I swayed towards the less trodden path. And I do mean less trodden - if you walk right to the end of Chun Xi Lu, past the statue of the-sitting-man in the middle of that street, you'd find a red sign board, with a staircase leading you downstairs to a nice hidden cove of bargains and trinkets. This is what I had in mind for China shopping!!

Bargains!!

Dresses cost approximately RMB50, belts from RMB12, accessories, stockings, bras, you name it. You may try to haggle here, I was unsuccessful, because it was already so cheap! It was just too bad that by the time I found this cove, time was short, so I didn't get too shop much.  

If you're looking for department stores and supermarkets, there's one near the centre of Chun Xi Lu, called Ito Yokado. I rephrase that sentence, this is actually a die-die! must stop! pit stop! for the very reason that it has reasonably CLEAN toilets!! Save yourself the nightmare and take a dump here!!

Juicy Tip: 
I'm sure many have survived the toilets from hell and have conveyed the horrors of public toilets in China. When you need to go, try to opt for sitting bowl latrines, which are cleaner than the squatting latrines, that you'd find nearly 80% of the places that you go. Ito Yokado has precisely that - sitting bowl toilets!! If all else fails, you can't defy the call of nature -just do it! and pray for the best!

Stock up on Sichuan beef jerky ("Niu Rou Kan") for souvenirs and food supplies in the supermarket while you're at it, as prices are cheaper than the beef jerky outlets outside the department store.

Pair up your shopping with a good dose of the supposedly famous corn juice to quench your thirst. It's quite yummy. Perhaps it's also cheaper in Ito Yokado!! Give it a try!

Pardon my lousy mandarin, but when the waitress asked me if I wanted "ywee mi zhi (corn juice), I actually thought she meant barley juice! Oops! What an unexpected surprise!

Enough said, Happy Juicy Shopping (part 1, of course)!!

Keep chatting till next week for more...