This is the above ground portion of Victoria Square; a 3 to 4 level subterranean shopping complex. It's a bargainer's dream but I wouldn't quite label it a black market because most of the shops are independent stalls that push more than just knock-off designer merchandise. If you visit, bring a good supply of water and bread crumbs to leave a trail because the place is a sweltering rat maze from all the MR-16 light fixtures and schizophrenic interior layout.
On this particular day, I was hunting for a good carry-on travel bag. I liked these funky, vinyl ones (especially the metallic ones inside) but refrained from buying in favor of something less trendy and inconspicuous.
This is New Market Shopping Mall; a department store style shopping experience. There are very few walls. It appears to be inspired by the circus with different themes for each floor. Below, the sporting goods section has a corridor that looks like a race track.
There is also Park Place, probably the prettiest of them all. Every store has access to natural light thanks to a glass curtain wall that encases the entire front facade. The stores are stepped back and face a 5-story atrium.
We had lunch at the top floor food court, but before that, here are shots of some swanky salons along the way. They were definitely over the top, but I like the gilded, giant mirrors.
The lattice work on this window display below is my last spa project coming back to haunt me, but I like the simplicity of the wooden words balancing on the branch nonetheless.
Hot pot,
huo gou or
xiabu xiabu is popular in Northern China because it's cold. However, the more the selection, the longer it takes me to decide what to eat.
Unfortunately, it was hazy and rainy when we went to the coastline, but Dalian's Xinhua Beach is a real estate developer's playground. Condominiums rise right next to convention centers, trolley tracks run in front of mansions, and an amusement park is thrown in along with the mix.
No comments:
Post a Comment