Exploring China’s World of Fakes: From Restaurants to Bargain Markets

Fake Burger King

I was in a fake Burger King in the Nanjing train station. It was hard to tell for sure, and they did a good job at camouflaging. There were some telltale signs though. For example, they didn’t have any burgers on the menu. There was a “Burger King” WiFi hotspot, but it was locked, and they didn’t know the password to it.

The restaurant’s slogan was very convincing as well. The Chinese name translated to “Long Live the King”. On one wall, there was even a Kung Fu Panda promo with a Dreamworks copyright on the bottom.

My theory is that there used to be an actual Burger King in the space, and the new owners recycled the past design like a hermit crab moving into a new shell, or in this case, bun. Notably, there was a sign on the door indicating no cameras allowed. I guess if the owners of this fake Burger King in Nanjing find my blog, I’ll be in trouble for breaking their rules. There is a surprising amount of fake fast food chains in China, but this was one of the weirder examples I’ve come across.

Fake wooden railing

On the climb to the Yellow Mountains summit, much of the 60,000 stairs are railed. The stairs are all made of stone, but the railing is wood. Or so you would think judging from the photo I took below.

In fact, the designers of the path created fake wooden rails out of stone and painted them to look like wood. I don’t understand why they would do this! It’s insane really, given all the extra work this would require! I even came across a worker painting one area. He was etching in spirals at the ends of the rails to look like wood rings. Why?

I suspect that, surrounded by all the natural beauty that the Yellow Mountains have to offer, I am the only one in the world who would be so bothered and bemused by these fake rails that I even wrote an entire blog post detailing this strange display.

Shanghai Fake Market

A four-year tradition whenever I visit China is to pilgrimage to the Shanghai Fake Market. In an example of blatant condonation by the Chinese government of international copyright infringement, the market is located inside the subway stop of the city’s Science and Technology Museum. Now, this is not a condemnation on my part or call for government crackdown. I love this market! Much of my wardrobe originates from here.

As a side note, one of my many trips to the market included a visit to the Science and Technology Museum. My German buddy Yannick – a budding medical student who was once mauled by a cheetah – came along. We quickly discovered that it was intended for elementary school students. Having already paid the entrance ticket, we joined a group of small Chinese children to discover the wonders of static electricity! Serendipitously, the museum housed a model African animals exhibit, and Yannick expertly taught me all about the different species. He once worked on an animal farm in South Africa, that, among other animals, had several cheetahs in its care.

Down below the museum, a subterranean labyrinth houses a jam-packed market full of small booths peddling more Western brands than a Taylor Swift concert. For a first timer, it can be absolutely overwhelming. Once the hawkers spot you, they shout at you and wave you in, offering Louis Vuitton belts, Michael Kors purses, and Gucci shoes, as well as socks, underwear, sports jerseys, children’s toys, memorabilia, jewelry, and not to forget, tailor-made suits. Before you can find your grounding, obnoxious agents tap your shoulder or grab your arm, holding up picture books of Rolex watches. When you explain to them you already have a watch, they ask: “what else you want?” They operate on commission, bringing you to their partners in one of the myriad booths tucked away among all the madness.

Once you find something you like, or at least approach within a couple of feet of the merchandise, the bargaining begins. Armed with a calculator and limited working English, the sellers start throwing out numbers. It’s always amazing to hear the prices they start at before they give you the “student discount” or “friend deal”. I guess there are some tourists who are willing to pay almost retail price for the fake goods! The best deals, however, are located deep in the belly of the market: tailor-made suits. There are over twenty different tailors offering their services. They provide custom suits to fit your exact dimensions, with little to no bargaining required. I once got a made-to-order suit for only $50, although the average price is around $100. Very reasonable for genuine quality stitching and solid materials. My theory as to why you don’t need to bargain much for the garments is that the tailors earn their living through their craft. The hawkers, on the other hand, are professional hagglers. They don’t provide any service, and they earn their living through cunning and a silver tongue. So beware! Tune in for my guide to the bargaining strategies I use if you want to dive into the wild world of fake markets!