According to the municipal government's agenda, all outdoor markets in the city are to close to smarten the city's appearance.

"Of course, we still hope to stay on the road which brings us such good business," Chen Guangming, the boss of a stall said. "We have done business on the road for over 10 years."

A total of 100,000 customers flow in and out of the market every day. Monthly sales from one stall of just a few square metres in size can hit 300,000 yuan ($36,000), while rent has soared from 1,000 yuan ($120) to 6,000 yuan ($730) for a stall in the past years.

Huating Road, which was built in 1921, was once a peaceful street. Western-style houses that line the two sides of the road show it was then a high class residential area.

But the peace was shattered in 1984 when Huating Road Clothes Market opened. Since then, the street has been jammed with people every day.

Cheap, fashionable garments and accessories are sold on Huating Road.

Many of the city's latest fashion crazes have made their debut on the 732-metre-long street rather than stores on Nanjing or Huaihai roads - Panama style trousers in 1985, button wear in 1986, jeans wear in 1987 and, most recently, the strap dress.

It is one of China's three most famous fashion streets along with Xiushui Street in Beijing and Gaodi Street in Guangzhou in South China's Guangdong Province.

Most traders on the street think the move indoors will affect their business.

Business people on Huating Road worry fewer customers - including the film stars, fashion models and sports stars who regularly shop on the road - will be attracted to an inside venue.

"Shopping in an outdoor market and squeezing through throngs of shoppers is all part of the experience for many shoppers," stall boss Chen added.

"But we should put more focus on the environment than profits," Yang Qingming, an official of Xuhui District government said.

"The bustling road has seriously affected the traffic and the sanitation of the road and its neighbouring area. We have received many complaints from residents living on the road in recent years."

The government doesn't mean to let the flourishing market - the fruit of almost 20 years' hard work and the source of more than 31 million yuan ($3.7 million) in tax for the government in the past 16 years - disappear.

Xuhui District government plans to move the outdoor market to an indoor building. Yonglong Building, at the intersection of Huating Road and Huaihai Road, and a building on Nanchang Road are the first two choices.

Astute stall holders have already made arrangements for the coming move.

Chen Guangming has rented the second floor of Yonglong Building for the next five years for 1.8 million yuan ($217,400) and will rent the 88 stalls to others for 3,000 yuan ($360) a month. The market in the building opened to the public last Sunday.

"I also plan to rent other floors of the building and let more stalls move in," Chen said.

"The building is right next to Huating Road which is a guarantee of good business for me," he added.