Underground Shopping Center (地下购物中心)

(entrance)
(one of the booths situated on a corner in the labrynth-like market)
(a view down one of the main alleys of booths)

Today most of the foreign exchange students met in the most expensive/entertaining part of Chongqing, 解放碑 (Jiefangbei, ji-eh-fahng-bay). In total there were 3 Germans, 1 American, 1 Italian, and 1 Thai. We had quite a lot of fun! First was lunch at a western food restaurant (I had Chicken fingers, but I can't really be sure what kind of meat it was actually). Then later we found ourselves shopping in an underground bargain market!

Here is a list of things that one can buy in this market:

1. umbrellas

2.knock-off designer handbags

3.mani-pedi

4.hairweaves (no joke, I almost died when I saw this)

5. cheap but nice women's casual clothing

6.hello kitty-esque stuffed animals

7. t-shirts/sweatshirts with interesting tastes in the English language

Inside it is not unlike a labrynth! So many little shops, so little time!

Everything is sold from a little booth that the shopkeeper has set up. Usually these shopkeepers can be seen in or outside their boothes either eating, haggling prices, or text messaging. What is nice about these little informal establishments is that one can bargain. To some people this is most of the entertainment. I myself have never seen bargaining or done it before and it was exciting and fun!

Also this place sold mostly women's things so men were seldom seen inside. There was the occasional husband/boyfriend holding the bags for a woman. These men didn't speak much unless it was to help haggle. But even then the women didn't really listen.