What to buy in Chongqing? — 9+ must-buy souvenirs, best things to buy in Chongqing

November 11, 2023

Any tourist destination will have typical local products, distinctive souvenirs for tourists to buy as gifts for relatives. Of course Chongqing is no exception. In addition to the “specialties” of stacked houses or train tracks running through the middle of high-rise apartments, Chongqing city has many local products including food and handicrafts that suitable as gifts to bring home. So, what to buy in Chongqing and where to shop in Chongqing? Let’s check out our Chongqing shopping guide with the suggested list of 7+ must buy Chongqing souvenirs, best things to buy in Chongqing as well as where to buy and best shopping places in Chongqing as follows!

Chongqing, one of the best places to visit in China

Hongyadong, a symbol and must-visit place of Chongqing

Ciqikou, where you can find best Chongqing souvenirs | what to buy in chongqing

In the article below, we will list the most interesting and unique gifts in Chongqing for you to choose from.

Shu embroidery (# what to buy in chongqing)

Shu embroidery is the common name of traditional hand embroidery art in the areas of Sichuan and Chongqing. This is one of the top four types of traditional hand embroidery in China, along with Su embroidery of Jiangsu, Xiang embroidery of Hunan and Yue embroidery of Guangdong added to the National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of China. As one of the oldest hand embroidery techniques in China, Shu embroidery has formed its own unique charm with bright colors, beautiful eyes and sophistication, and is considered the most excellent embroidery art of the 4 types of hand embroidery listed above.

The art of Shu embroidery has a long history. Many studies believe that this type originated from the Sanxingdui civilization of the ancient Shu kingdom. By the Eastern Jin period, the art of Shu embroidery was considered a national treasure. This embroidery technique mainly uses soft silk and satin colors to create products with rich, vivid images.

According to statistics, there are a total of 12 types of embroidery needles and 120 embroidery methods used in Shu embroidery. This is considered very suitable for expressing motifs such as birds, flowers, insects, fish and is especially suitable for expressing landscapes or characters with great depth. This technique is currently not only used in embroidery works but also applied to a variety of products serving daily life such as decorating clothes, shoes, hats, pillows, curtains, blankets… This is truly a meaningful gift and has high artistic value as a gift when visiting Chongqing.

In a embroidery workshop | what to buy in chongqing

Rongchang folding fan

With a history of more than 450 years, Rongchang paper fans are a classic product famous around the world. This product was previously an expensive item that only aristocrats or wealthy people could afford. Along with the development of technology, Rongchang fan still holds an important position domestically and in the international market since it was exported to India and Burma for hundreds of years. This elaborate product will be a very meaningful gift for your Chongqing trip.

In ancient Chinese society, a folding fan was not simply a tool for cooling in the summer, but it was also a personal item that showed the owner’s elegance and luxury. Folding fan products that are elaborately and sophisticatedly made with images or quatrains expressing personal views have been very popular and widely popular among aristocrats since the Ming Dynasty (1551). Along with its popularity, the materials used to make fans are also very diverse and splendidly decorated. Even many famous poets have included the image of a folding fan in their works.

Currently, as society develops and technology becomes more modern, Rongchang fan products also become more diverse and have more choices for visitors, from high-end products to medium and average products. are sold in many places in shopping areas in Chongqing. According to statistics, there are about 345 types of folding fans on the market, made of many materials such as paper, wood, feathers… with extremely diverse colors and sizes.

Hechuan Gorge Inkstone made from Three Gorges stone (# what to buy in chongqing)

The art of calligraphy is one of China’s oldest cultural features, widely promoted around the world. And calligraphy tools including brush, paper, ink stone and writing ink are considered China’s Four Academic Treasures.

In Chongqing, visitors can learn about the Hechuan Gorge Inkstone, one of the four “treasures” to bring back as souvenirs. This is a special type of stone used to grind calligraphy ink taken from the Libi gorge of the Jialing River. This inkstone is carved into an exquisite shape with beautiful dragon, bamboo, lotus, etc. patterns. With its rarity, inkstones made from Three Gorges stone are very valuable in calligraphy shops in China. This is a very meaningful souvenir whether you have the ability to write calligraphy or not, because this is one of China’s longstanding cultural features.

Hechuan Peach Slices (# chongqing souvenirs)

This is one of the traditional and very popular snacks of Han people in Hechuan district, Chongqing. Known since 1840, Hechuan peach slices is made from sticky rice, walnuts, sugar, roses and honey. After about 10 stages, the finished product will be soft, thin, white and sweet slices of cake fragrant with the scent of roses and walnuts. This is probably the most popular and chosen gift of tourists when coming to Chongqing. You can easily find this cake packaged and sold in supermarkets or convenience stores across the city.

In addition above Chongqing souvenirs, you can also buy other gifts such as calligraphy scrolls, refrigerator magnets with icons of Chongqing, handicrafts, T-shirts…

‘I love Chongqing’ T-shirts | chongqing shopping

Chongqing refrigerator magnets | chongqing shopping

With the souvenirs that we introduced above, hopefully you will find meaningful, suitable gifts for friends and relatives after your visit to Chongqing. In fact, you will encounter many other interesting souvenirs sold on the street during your visit to Chongqing. The list above are outstanding “specialties” only available in Chongqing. In addition, you will encounter other popular items such as silk, sculptures, some snacks or other popular spices, all of which are suitable as gifts. However, remember to pay attention to the price if you buy at the market or on the street!

Where to shop in Chongqing: Best shopping places in Chongqing (# chongqing shopping)

Old street in Chongqing | chongqing shopping

Although not as modern and bustling as Beijing or Shanghai, the city of Chongqing is still full of interesting items and diverse shopping places, satisfying the needs of locals and tourists. As a region rich in natural resources and a developed economy, famous shopping areas in Chongqing always have thousands of visitors every day.

Stunning scene of Chongqing with dense skyscrapers

All items from local specialties to luxury goods can be easily found in top shopping streets such as Jiefangbei, Guanyinqiao, Nanping Walking Street or in Ciqikou ancient town – top places for Tourists explore this city’s busy commercial system. In the article below, we will introduce in detail the most famous shopping streets in Chongqing for you refer to before planning a trip to this interesting city.

Jiefangbei Pedestrian Street (# what to buy in chongqing)

Located in the most prosperous central area of Chongqing, Jiefangbei shopping place is considered a symbol of a modern city, representing a vibrant new lifestyle and outstanding development over time.

In 1997, the Chinese government built the first commercial district in the western region of the country, with the goal of promoting the economy, serving as a dual-function trading center, and becoming a main shopping area of Chongqing and surrounding areas. Initially this area was located on an area of about 24,400 square meters, with the People’s Liberation Monument in the middle. Then in 2000 and 2001, the walking street was expanded at Bayi and Minzu streets, serving the shopping needs of a large number of tourists coming here every day. Currently, this area is the core revenue source of Chongqing’s economy, and is the commercial zone with the best investment value in the whole of China.

It can be said that this is a shopping paradise in Chongqing, with more than 3,000 stores of all kinds, about 20 shopping malls and commercial centers and a series of restaurants, hotels and company headquarters located here. You can find the world’s leading luxury brands such as LV, Prada, Rolex at showrooms here, or cheap items with popular brands at stores such as New Century Store and Chongqing Department with discount programs held very frequently. On average, about 300,000 people visit this walking street every day and the number can reach millions on major holidays.

Location: Minzu Road, Yuzhong District

Guanyinqiao Pedestrian Street

Located in the heart of Jingbei district, Guanyinqiao pedestrian street is currently an emerging shopping place that is equally as interested as Jiefangbei. Spread over an area of about 85,500 square meters, this is a place that integrates entertainment, shopping, dining, and multi-functional entertainment venues with a series of stores, supermarkets, and large shopping centers at a very affordable price. More specifically, around Guanyinqiao street is a 2.1km long ring road system and 800 meter tunnel serving convenient and quick movement into the central area. Guanyinqiao’s main square is also a place that attracts a large number of people to participate in interesting outdoor activities both day and night.

Rated as one of the top 10 shopping areas in China and is gradually replacing Jiefangbei area. However, many tourists evaluate that this area is on the rise, suitable for more popular tourist needs and is not as diverse as Jiefangbei area.

Location: Guanyinqiao Circle, Jiangbei District

Three Gorges Square

Established in 1997, Three Gorges Square was built with the purpose of creating more places for entertainment, ralaxing and shopping for local people as well as tourists visiting this area. The square is planned into four main parts, including a green art garden, a cultural and commercial street, a sculpture garden and an area depicting the natural landscape of the Three Gorges area on an area of about 80,000 square meters.

Located in the university concentration area of Shapingba district, this place attracts a large number of active young people to enjoy shopping every week. At Three Gorges Square, visitors can immerse themselves in the crowded crowd in the square, explore diverse department stores such as Wangfujing, Hualian… to experience a young and exciting shopping space.

Location: Three Gorges Square, Shapingba District

Nanping Pedestrian Street

Nanping Pedestrian Street is located in Nanan District of Chongqing City, with a total area of about 4km2. Along with the city’s large-scale urban development in recent years, the old business establishments of the Nanping area have made breakthrough developments, gradually forming a commercial pedestrian area. The main area is 15,000 square meters. The shopping centers here have a great combination of features and sales capabilities.

The entire Nanping area has about 20 shopping areas including large and medium-sized shopping centers, supermarkets, chain stores and markets that attract hundreds of thousands of people every day, becoming one of the 5 largest shopping centers in Chongqing. Among them, the Sunshine department store located near Wanda Square is the largest and oldest store in this area. Visitors say that if you want to buy quality and affordable products of Chinese origin, this is the top priority place to come.

Location: Nanping Walking Street, Nanan District

Yangjiaping Pedestrian Street

Located in Jiulongpo District, Yangjiaping Pedestrian Street was originally famous as the culinary center of Chongqing City. Visitors can find all the most famous dishes of Chongqing and Sichuan here. However, along with the development of the city, the Yangjiaping area is considered to have the most high-end walking street and has received the most investment to date. Taking Yangjiaping pedestrian street as the center, the main commercial area of Jiulongpo district includes Yangjiulu, Yangjiaping main street, Shipingqiao… are the locations with the most shopping places.

The rapid pace of urbanization and economic development has turned this place into a popular dining, entertainment and shopping center with a series of stores with diverse brands and all prices to meet the consumer needs. After shopping, visitors can also enjoy the famous Yangtze River scenery when moving to the end of Zhigang Avenue with fresh air and extremely comfortable breeze.

Location: Yangjiaping, Jiulongpo District

It can be seen that each central district of Chongqing city built its own commercial street, both reducing shopping pressure in the central area and increasing commercialization in each area. Therefore, when visiting these places, visitors will notice the unique differences that only that district has. This is really interesting when you can both shop and feel the people’s lives at each location visited. There are many interesting things in Chongqing waiting for you to explore, quickly contact us to choose the most suitable itinerary for yourself so you don’t miss this wonderful city!

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Check out more China guide here. And Chongqing travel blog here.