Shopping  --  What to Buy :

If there is a place that can satisfy the shoppers' appetite most, it must be China. Abounding with various unusual and characteristic goods, China will never make you disappointed or worried about what to bring back. As wonderful mementos and gifts for your friends and relatives, special merchandise of various kinds, including Chinese silk, tea, antiques, paintings and calligraphy, Chinese medicines, jade and pearls, handicrafts, among others, are always available for your choice.

Distinctive things are mainly sold in cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Xian, Guilin, Chengdu, Suzhou, Hangzhou, Lhasa, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and especially Hong Kong, the city which is reputed world wide as a 'Shopping Paradise'. It is the shopping destination that tourists most long to visit. Different Chinese cities have different local specialities: Beijing is noted for cloisonne enamel and fresh water pearls; Shanghai is renowned for jade; Xian is celebrated for antiques and rugs, while Guilin is famous for scroll paintings and bijouterie. Particularly, Suzhou and Hangzhou are well known for silk and tea. All will provide plenty of ideas for fulfilling your shopping trip.

Please refer to Chinese Tea, Chinese Alcohol, Chinese Medicine and especially the Arts and Crafts under our China Discovery for more detailed information of which are the distinctively Chinese souvenirs that we highly recommend.

For the local products in each city of China, please refer to our China Guide for more shopping information.