Shanghai's Friday Muslim Market

Tipped off by blogs including Jing Theory, I made plans with my friend Christina, an American artist living in Shanghai for eight years, to visit the city's Muslim Market. We were joined by a group of expat women who knew Shanghai well, but had never heard of this market. A first-time visitor, I was feeling like quite the sleuth, and accepted their congratulations on "my" find. In researching this post, however, I was chastened to discover that the street market, held every Friday before prayers at Shanghai's Huxi Mosque, is an outgrowth of migration in the past few years by Muslims from the provinces seeking work in this prosperous city. Huxi mosque, established in 1914, was the first mosque in Shanghai to be re-opened in 1979, after being closed for many years. Though it has been rebuilt and relocated, the mosque now serves as the center of Shanghai's growing Muslim community. The recent migrants are Uyghurs, ethnically Turkic people from Xinjiang, and Hui, a Chinese-speaking Muslim group ethnically related to Han Chinese.

The market is held in a single block, along a busy street. Dodging traffic proved challenging, even for Shanghai, and even with a group. This somewhat constrained my picture taking, as I had to stay alert.


Untitled by Josephine2004, on Flickr


Fruit for Sale, Muslim Market, Shanghai by Josephine2004, on Flickr

The market is an ad hoc affair, which added to its charm. This fellow has a laser-focused business in dried dates:


Dried Date Salesman, Shanghai by Josephine2004, on Flickr

These wares, including a tiger's paw (?!!) epitomize the rustic offerings of the smaller merchants. I wondered whether some of these items were intended as medicinal, or whether they have some traditional cultural meanings and uses. Woody mushrooms like the one at the left of this picture are used to flavor distilled spirits in Yunnan, though likely this is not how they are used among observant Muslims.


Goods from the Frontier, Muslim Market, Shanghai by Josephine2004, on Flickr

It is not unusual to be approached in other parts of Shanghai by Uyghur men selling semi-precious stones, often in strings of beads. My friend, Christina, told me that the price of jade has gone sky-high, and that that shortage is being addressed by these merchants, who sell the large boulders for carving. That makes sense, but how on earth do you get the thing home from the market?


Semi-precious Stones, Shanghai Muslim Market by Josephine2004, on Flickr


Stone Merchant, Friday Muslim Market, Shanghai by Josephine2004, on Flickr

The big draws seemed to be dried fruits and grilled meats. In the photo below, Hui men in white caps buy lamb (likely mutton) kebabs. These kebabs are known as a Uyghur specialty. To make them, chunks of meat spiced with cumin and hot pepper are woven onto skewers with fat from the tail of the lamb, which makes them especially lamby-tasting. I report this based on my research, rather than actual experience, since we had arrived late at the market, after a big lunch. At that hour, most of the offerings looked as though they had been picked over, and the tiger's paw squelched any remaining appetite I might have had.


Lamb Kebabs at Friday Muslim Market, Shanghai by Josephine2004, on Flickr

These women offered a chicken dish and more lamb, or perhaps goat. The darker dish is mostly bones (including a jaw with teeth) and a generous handful of hot peppers.


Uyghur Women Selling Lunch, Shanghai by Josephine2004, on Flickr


Rustic Dish at Friday Market, Shanghai by Josephine2004, on Flickr

These dumplings (manti) are most likely filled with pumpkin and carrot.


Pumpkin/Carrot Manti, Muslim Market, Shanghai by Josephine2004, on Flickr

Memories of cherry-sweet black Samarkand raisins from along the Silk Road found in a shop in Astoria, Queens led me to be hopeful about these, but they tasted just like any other raisin.


Dried Fruits, Friday Muslim Market, Shanghai by Josephine2004, on Flickr

We did try some of the bread, which was pretty, but dry. Best to get there earlier, just before noon.


Bread Stand, Friday Muslim Market, Shanghai by Josephine2004, on Flickr

Thanks, Christina. And, by the way, you look great in that Uyghur cap!


Christina Dons a Uyghur Men's Cap by Josephine2004, on Flickr

Friday Muslim Market
1328 Changde Lu (near Aomen Lu)
North Jing'an
Shanghai
from 11:00 AM

Wonderful post Josephine! Thanks for dodging traffic to take these interesting photos!

I ran across news today of an earthquake this past Sunday in Xinjiang province. Here are links to the china.org coverage that also has pics of tourism in that area. It gives a bit more context for understanding the presence of rustic items in the Shanghai market. Apparently, Xinjiang is a true frontier, yet one where tourism has made significant inroads:

http://www.china.org.cn/photos/2012-07/02/content_25783543.htm

http://www.china.org.cn/china/2012-07/02/content_25781876.htm