Church Services

Spend your Christmas
surrounded by angelic choirs
and ridiculously nice people
at one of the following services.
Remember, there is no better
time to make up for those
364 days of debauchery.

St Francis Xavier Church (Puxi)

Built in early Spanish baroque style in 1853, the gorgeous St Francis Xavier Church, better known as Dongjiadu Lu Church is the first foreign built church in Shanghai. It is also the oldest and the best preserved (four of the church bells are originals). A short walk down DongJiaDu Lu on the right, the church holds services regularly in Chinese and English.

• Christmas Eve Service:
  Dec 24, 9pm
• Christmas Day Service:
  Dec 25, 10.30am and 12.30pm
• New Year's Day Service:
  tbc

Hengshan Community Church

Shanghai's best known Protestant church, otherwise known as Guoji Libai Tang or the International Church , was established in 1925 and is popular among expats. Located in the upscale French Concession, the church was built in modern Gothic style and has an excellent choir to boot.

• Dec 25, 10:30am

Sacred Heart of Jesus Church (Pudong)

International Community of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Church was first built in 1744, but was forced to move to several locations before finding home in its current home in Pudong's Biyun International Community.blandit praesent.

• Christmas Eve Service:
  Dec 24, 8pm
• Christmas Day Service:
  Dec 25, 10:30am
• No mass on New Year's Day

Where to buy
Christmas Trees

Shops

Rosa Gallica on Ferguson Lane sells real trees from 200rmb-900rmb depending on the size. The Graces Floral on Donghu Lu has real trees from abroad, but you must order them 20 days in advance and at a cost. Au Nom de la Rose on Jianguo Lu has fake trees ranging from 300rmb-1000rmb, which they can decorate with their specialty -- roses -- and/or lights. Secret Garden is selling a 2m tree for 1200rmb, and you can add 300rmb to have it pre-decorated.

Yu Garden & Markets

If you don't mind the haggle, hit up Yuyuan for trees and Christmas paraphernalia or the flower markets around the city (e.g: CaoJiaDu, HongQiao).

Fake Plastic Trees

Your options are IKEA (129rmb for 120 cm and 299rmb for 180cm), Carrefour or Wal-Mart (about 400rmb). Don't forget to throw in some ornaments while you're at it, and speaking of which...

Ornaments

Get yours at HOLA (B2 Brilliance West Shopping Mall) or Metro City at Xujiahui.

Read the full article about where to buy Christmas Trees in Shanghai here.

Gift Ideas

Books

You can never go wrong with books, those who hate reading can use it to prop a table. We recommend a number of literary works set against the backdrop of our fair Shanghai such as Tony Parsons' My Favourite Wife or The SingSong Girls of Shanghai by BanQing Han (320 rmb) Available at Garden Books, Chaterhouse Booktrader and Shanghai Foreign Language Bookstores.

Bloomnine Erotic Toys

Surprise your mother this year with a Bloomnine dildo! Or not. Still, those pretty Goldfrau dildos (rmb 1,980 each) can be hard to resist. For the more adventurous, Bloomnine has the most stylish sex toys this side of the Atlantic. www.bloomnine.com.

Lomo Camera

For that aspiring hipster in your life, Lomo cameras are coming back in style. Lucky for you, there is the Lomography Embassy Shanghai (126 Jin Xian Lu, opposite Citizen Cafe) for everything Lomo, including the cameras (rmb 400 upwards). School yourself at www.lomography.cn before visiting the store to avoid looking totally uncool and overwhelmed.

Guinness Surger

We realize Guinness is more St Paddy's than Christmas, but we dare you to say no to the Guinness Surger Starter Kit. Drinking Guinness straight from the can will soon be a thing of the past, because you've never tasted beer until it's been passed through ultrasonic waves. More info here, and at the ordering hotline: 021-63087838 or email guinnesshome@gmail.com.

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