I happened upon another post office earlier today while visiting Shanghai Mart, which in its proper Chinese name should be known as the World Trade Building or the World Trade Shopping Center (“世贸商城”). Built in 1999, presumably in anticipation of China’s accession to the World Trade Organization and its subsequent opening-up, the complex still retains its three major functions — to showcase year-round those commodities available for import/export (“常年展示”), to host temporary large-scale exhibitions (“会展服务”), and to house businesses that are necessary for supporting its first two roles (“商务办公”). The exhibition part is a little run-down, as Shanghai has built many more newer, more attractive venues for anything from Car Shows to Comic Cons, but the other two sections still stand with much of their former pride intact. I was there to meet with a tailor, but ran into a small postal office in the lobby.

To call it an “office,” however, might have been slight exaggeration. It is at best a counter, or really parts of a very long counter which, I suspect, was originally designed to be the reception area for this entire complex. It does not appear to have any banking facility or equipment, and therefore can only be used to deposit or collect letters and packages. I saw no customer there.