This crowded warren of clothes and food stalls in the block northeast of February 7 Sq is not a bad place to stock up on socks, undies and T-shirts, provided you don't mind a bit of haggling. Enter via Renmin Lu or Erqi Lu.
It's often crowded, but food choices are bottom of the barrel. Better picks include málà tàng (麻辣烫, spicy soup with skewered veggies and meat), chūn juǎn (春卷, spring rolls), càijiābǐng (菜夹饼, vegetables in a bun), or yángròu tāng (羊肉汤, lamb soup).