Chinese Mall: Where quality meets low prices

On the corner of San Diego and Padre Alonso de Ovalle, in the old Book Shop section of Santiago, shoppers will find the Chinese Mall. It’s on the second floor of a warehouse with hundreds of shops where prices are affordable.

The first floor is dominated by Chilean-run shops, though most of their products are imported from Korea, China or Taiwan. On the second floor, everything changes. It all acquires color and dynamism with red paper lanterns and colored banners hanging from the ceiling.

Businesses are attended by their Chinese owners, who may not speak Spanish, but are great with numbers. Many have Peruvian or Colombian employees. Two years ago, the shops opened in the gallery, which is managed by the Municipality of Santiago. Everyone has done well. "Lately, more people than ever before are shopping here,” says one owner on the first floor.

Shoppers can find shoes and handbags for women, pencils, flashlight key chains, fashion T-shirts, hair accessories and car deodorizers. In all, there is a truly wide variety of products at affordable prices.

"It is a good idea to shop here because shoes and handbags cost half of what they are charging (at shops) on Estado and Santo Domingo streets,” states one customer. While acknowledging that product quality is not the best, she adds that the shoes that will last the season, so she is happy. "I do not need more than that, then I get bored using the same pair.”

In general, shoes cost $5,000 pesos. That is, for the price of one pair in other parts of town, you get three at the Chinese Mall: blue shoes for the blue dress, a pair of black shoes because they go with everything and some red shoes, just because. Accessories, run $1000 pesos. Handbags, $3000. They designs are quite original , too.

What is not easy, however, is to strike up a conversation with owners. They are focused on their store and don’t speak much. Moreover, the fact that immigrants usually live in closed communities or extended families, they are slow to take up Chilean culture and language.

"They are extremely boring people. They don’t speak to anyone, because they live in their own world,” states Juan Carlos Bernal, who has worked for ten years at the Mall with his father, the former manager of the location. He states that sometimes first-floor tenants bother the owners on floor two, "but it is all in good fun.”

A Chinese youth, working on the second floor, states he has not been out since arriving with his family from Beijing a year ago. He has not been out for a walk or to visit the city. He says he does not understand Spanish, but does not feel bad here. Another young man with tattooed arms and a smile on his face tries to explain who the artist is whose music is being played on the loudspeakers. I don’t understand him, though. "No photo, no photo!" shouts another man while attempting to remove the camera from my hands.

Music is a distinctive feature of the shops at the Chinese mall. While the mall speakers boom out Madonna and other artists, the shops play oriental music with its soft sounds and harmonious melodies.

Being so close to Christmas, the Chinese Mall at San Diego is a great option for shoppers on a budget. In fact, advertisers in some of Santiago’s newspapers announce "I not try to sell. Try to give away. (“No vengo a vendel (vender), vengo a legalal (regalar).”)