A pink-and-white plate with raised curved edges. Photo: Zhao Dan/GT

Famous as the closest water town to downtown Shanghai, Zhujiajiao in Qingpu district has been a tourist attraction for many years.

But despite its undoubted charms, the town has also become something of an ersatz cliché with its poorly made qipao, predictable menus (lots of zongzi – rice dumplings) and gaudy, embroidered reproductions of famous paintings.

Dig a little deeper, however, and you can discover some truly novel retailers selling the kind of knickknacks and collectibles that is difficult to get hold of anywhere else in Shanghai.

The Global Times took a stroll along some of this ancient town's less traveled byways.

How green was my China?

Few foreigners will recognize the name, but they will be familiar with the distinctive, pale jade-green glaze of the Chinese pottery known as celadon. In Zhujiajiao there are two shops selling these attractive wares.

The larger store is called Shitu Qingci Ji (188 Beida Street 北大街188號(hào), 5924-1758). This two-story outlet has an expansive collection of celadon pieces, but those at its more modest competitor are far more appealing.

This boutique, called Longquan Qingci (No.1, Lane 26 Xijing Street 西井街26號(hào), 139-1702-1259) resembles a miniature museum and offers exquisite pieces such as a teaset named xiao tiandi (630 yuan, $96) which means both "small world" and "small heaven on earth."

Another highlight of the shop is the display of celadon featuring bingliewen, or patterns that resemble cracked ice.

According to shop owner Wang Zhiren, this distinctive patterning only appears on a piece that has been placed in the center of the baking kiln, and it only occurs when the kiln has reached a certain temperature.

A pink-and-white plate with raised curved edges (880 yuan) also caught our eye. These two colors seamlessly merge into each other giving the appearance of a strawberry-flavored lollipop.

For further details about the products from Shitu Qingci Ji, log onto www.qingci.org.