Many residents on Anguo Road in Hongkou District complained to the district government and police about the disturbance caused by more than 100 unlicensed stalls selling crickets.
On a 100-meter stretch of the street, the illegal noisy outdoor market has caused a fuss, said a Xingang Road Police Station officer surnamed Tan.
"We have tried to clear away the stalls many times before, but they always come back," said Tan. "Most of the vendors are unemployed or released from prison."
A resident in the area said the cricket market has become an annual occurrence.
"The market appears from July to October every year and it has a history of years," said the resident, who asked not to be identified. "There are almost 200 stalls at peak times. Those stalls severely affect sanitation, public order and traffic."
The two-lane street has effectively been reduced to one lane since stalls have spread out onto the road.
"Cars can only drive at a snail's pace when getting through the stretch," said a resident surnamed Gu, "Those vendors came here as early as 6am every day in order to get a better sales place. The noise and waste has really disturbed us."
An indoor flower and bird market was opened to the public in May this year near Anguo Road. The plan was to draw the transient stalls inside. It has not worked.
Police officer Tan said the cricket sellers are now required to pay managerial fees - 30 yuan (US$3.61) per day - to the local neighborhood committee. The move is aimed at limiting the number of stalls.
But several residents are still not satisfied and demand that authorities ban the illegal outdoor market as soon as possible.