Ayesha de Kretser/ Shanghai Daily News

Need to invoke some Christmas spirit at your place this year? Look no further than the Yu Garden, where you'll find everything from dancing Santas to tinsel and baubles.

There’s plenty of choice when it comes to Christmas trees, with sizes ranging from a mere 10 centimeters in height to larger 3 or 4-meter-high models.

From the weird to the wonderful to the completely inexplicable, the Yu Gardens have whatever you need to make your home a little more festive this Christmas.

A quick stroll around the bazaar reveals an array of all the usual suspects when it comes to Christmas decorations, including tinsel, baubles, bells, angels, stars and, of course, Christmas trees in varying sizes.

Tree decorations cost between 5 yuan (62 US cents) and 15 yuan but discounts are always negotiable and prices vary from stall to stall.

One shop keeper quoted me 55 yuan for a 2.1-meter-high plastic tree, but when I turned around to ask the lady behind me the price of her 2.1-meter tree for a cost comparison, I was astonished to find it was more than triple the price at 190 yuan.

So be ready to bargain hard for the best deal or trek around to find someone who's not asking for a ridiculous price.

The thing to bear in mind when it comes to this type of adventure is that most of what you're purchasing has been made in China, and usually costs very little overseas. It's worth doing the math and calculating what you might have spent on a similar item elsewhere, and then making sure you pay less.

Among the more obscure pieces on offer was a snowman with Santa's head stuck on top. The asking price for this delightful installation was 120 yuan, but be warned it might actually frighten children more than impress them.

An inflatable Santa apparently costs 480 yuan, but I'm sure some kind of discount (perhaps between 50 and 80 percent) could be negotiated for one of these treasures.

Giant teddies wearing Santa hats will set you back about 680 yuan, at least according to the lady with gleaming eyes who saw the look of delight on my face at coming across this cuddly creature. She must have thought I was so impressed that I'd willingly part with my life savings for it. Dancing Santa dolls (with saxophones) go for about 200 yuan, although this can change depending on their size.

Two to three meter lengths of flashing, colored ornaments and lights were cheap, priced at around 15 yuan.

Smaller trees for decorating the Christmas table cost about 10 to 15 yuan, and sparkly snowflakes for hanging on doors or windows are about 20 yuan.

Most of the stuff at the Yu Gardens is kitsch, to say the least, but if you've a sense of humor and some patience for bargaining, it's an enjoyable day of shopping that will leave your home infused with just a little extra Yuletide cheer.

Address: 218 Anren Road

Open hour: 8:30am to 5:30pm