China is a country known for its cultural diversity with many peoples living together in harmony and is one of the most attractive destinations in the world. Famous worldwide for its overwhelming destinations such as the Great Wall, or the Forbidden City. Especially when it comes to souvenirs, they are extremely diverse. Anything is beautiful and hidden a certain meaning. So, Chinese souvenirs, gifts will surely overwhelm you with their quantity and diversity. Because each region has its own characteristics products.

Nanjing Road, Shanghai
A canal in Suzhou ancient town with its both sides are souvenir shops with hanging red lanterns. | what to buy in china
China is a paradise for any shopping lover. | what to buy in china

So, what to buy in China, what souvenirs to buy in China, what can I buy in China, what can we buy in China, what can you buy in China, what is famous in China for shopping and what should i buy in China, how to cheap shopping in China as well? Let’s check out our China shopping guide with the suggested top +31 best things to buy in China, best China gifts (best Chinese gifts, best gifts from China), must buy in China (must buy things in China) including best China souvenirs (best souvenirs from China), cheapest things to buy in China, gifts to bring back from China, good souvenirs from China and where to buy them to help you find out meaningful gifts to bring back after the trip!

Chongqing city

The mainland of China is known for a prosperous economy, thriving in tandem with an extremely rich culture along with thousands of years of history and invaluable legacies of mankind. With a large area and well-developed regional culture, this country possesses many regional products, specialties with different characteristics. As a vast country with more than 5,000 years of history, it is no wonder that China is one of the most culturally diverse countries in the world. Every time traveling here, many tourists are confused about what to buy as gifts because there are countless choice.

A wide variety of Chinese gifts, items, products, specialties surely will make you overwhelmed and confused to choose.

What to buy in China: Ceramics

Chinese ceramics, the most famous Chinese souvenirs and must buy in China.

China’s ceramic art is recognized worldwide which dating back to thousands of years. No surprise when ancient vases with unique patterns are sometimes worth millions of dollars at auctions. Are you wondering, “If it’s so expensive, how can I buy it?”, right?! Rest assured that in China, there are not only antique vases or other ceramics, coming to this country, you will be free to choose exquisite ceramic products such as plates, bowls, vases, jars, teapots, cups, chopsticks, mugs, even ceramic figurines… with beautiful patterns, shapes, designs that are the quintessence of artisans at affordable prices.

Chinese ceramics are extremely beautiful, artistic and diverse in designs, patterns, and shapes. A fragrant cup of tea will not be complete without the contribution of eye-catching and delicate ceramic tea sets. This is to mention the beautiful and unique ceramics of this country of thousands of years of history.
Ceramic figurines.
Modern vases.

Considered as the cradle of the world’s ceramic industry, the making of Chinese ceramics was strongly developed in the dynasties of the Han, Tang, Song, Yuan, and Ming dynasties and especially reach to its highest peak in the Qing dynasty. The ceramics here are meticulously designed with diverse and rich designs with many beautiful shapes, good quality, the details and patterns are meticulously and delicately made, making it difficult to do counterfeiting or imitating.

It will be perfect if you buy tea as a gift and have an extra set of authentic ceramic teapots from China. Definitely, the trip is an opportunity for you to witness the world of ceramic art with your own eyes. From museums, eateries, restaurants, tea shops or souvenir shops, there are items made from ceramics and painted by the talented hands of local artisans.

People often call “China” in English as “Sina”, but it also has another meaning, “ceramic”. Therefore, the image of ceramics and China means that, referring to China is to remember ceramic, the source of world ceramic art, the cradle of the art treasure of mankind.
You can find ceramics throughout China.

Where to buy

Ceramics are widely sold across China from villages, tourist places or cities. If you want to own these high quality ceramic products, you can go to Jingdezhen in northeastern Jiangxi province – a city is famous for making ceramics in China.

Best souvenirs from China: Silk

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Not only is the homeland of tea, China is also the birthplace of many other famous products, including silk. China is considered the first country in the world to find out the technology of growing mulberry, raising silkworms, and weaving silk as early as the 3rd century BC. And surely no one will not think of China when hearing the mention of the legendary “Silk Road”. For the Chinese people, silk and products made of silk are indispensable items in daily life.

Over thousands of years of history, Chinese silk from being only favored for emperors and royal family has been popularized everywhere and has become more and more elaborate and perfect. | must buy in china

Mulberry farming has been the main profession of many regions in China since ancient times. This country always has the best quality silk fabrics and dyes in the world. Moreover, combined with the patterns and motifs of Buddhist culture, Chinese silk becomes an extremely valuable gift for international tourists. A soft silk or a bunch of delicately embroidered brocade is definitely a gift that few people can refuse, especially women or elderly people like grandparents.

Chinese silk is always a special gift in the minds of international tourists. | must buy in china

In China, silk is often chosen to make traditional costumes, clothes, scarves, shawls, cheongsam (Chinese dress, Qi pao, Mandarin Dress) and some other accessories, so you should also try on beautiful silk bands or sew yourself traditional Chinese costumes. This will be a gift that mothers and sisters will definitely love.

Chinese traditional silk dress | cheap shopping in china

Suzhou silk is soft and cool (even on hot summer days), contributing to the aristocratic beauty of femininity. These are unique characteristics only found in Suzhou silk, creating a unique and charm feature for merchants along the Silk Road.

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Where to buy

During your trip in China, you can buy the finest silk at the best prices at shops in Suzhou, Hangzhou, Sichuan or Guangdong.

Inside a silk store. | cheap shopping in china

Best gifts from China: Ruifu Xiang Silk Fabric

Ruifuxiang (Rui Fu Xiang Silk Fabric) is one of the traditional Chinese Beijing’s premium silk brands. Silk fabric and embroidery products made from it are famous souvenirs of Beijing that are loved by many tourists. Ruifuxiang’s silk became the first choice to be bought for making traditional Chinese clothes, dresses, scarf and costumes.

Ruifuxiang silk store in Beijing. | what to buy in china

Where to buy

You can find them at the stores on Dashilan Street, and these shops are also famous for their Qipao (Chinese traditional qipao dress).

What should I buy in China: Neiliansheng cloth shoes

Neiliansheng shoes are considered as famous souvenirs in Beijing and entire China as well. Neiliansheng Shoe Shop specializes in making cloth shoes since 1853. Made from natural materials, Neiliansheng shoes bring a comfortable, lightweight feel in true Chinese style.

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If you travel to Beijing, it is impossible not to mention a famous Chinese shoe brand that has been around since 1853, Neiliansheng. In addition to modern leather shoes, you can choose to buy shoes that are handmade from silk, brocade, with eye-catching embroidery patterns.

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Where to buy

You can buy these cloth shoes at Neilansheng shoe store in Qianmen.

Address: China, Beijing, Xicheng District, 大栅栏西街34号 邮政编码: 100031
Phone: +86 10 6301 4863
Hours: 9am-8.30pm

Gifts to bring back from China: Scroll Paintings

Chinese painting long scrolls of four screens.

Scroll painting is also a fairly famous art form in Shanghai that any visitor from all over the world come to this place also buys as a souvenir with two types handscrolls and hanging, or landscape, scrolls. You can find them to buy from local artists, because each of their paintings is often different and brings unique cultural features of where they live, which can be paintings depict landscapes, people, stories, architecture, couplets, etc. This will be one of those delightful gifts or an excellent home decor that you won’t find anywhere else.

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Four Chinese scroll paintings forming a large landscape. | best souvenirs from china

Where to buy

Let come to any souvenir shops, galleries, painting workshops in old towns or in any city to choose your loved one.

What to buy in China: Sheng Xifu Hat

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Traveling to Beijing, visitors can choose to buy unique Sheng Xifu hats to give to relatives and friends. They are completely handmade This is also the type of hat loved by many Chinese leaders such as: Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai, Jiang Zemin, and foreign leaders such as Richeng Jin (President of North Korea), Sukarno (President of Indonesia), Sihanoc (Infante of Cambodia).

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Where to buy

Visitors can buy Sheng Xifu hats at Shengxifu store at Dashilan 34, Qianmen, Xuanwu District.

Best China souvenirs: Beijing Paper Cut

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Paper cutting is an image cut out on a sheet of paper with scissors. The art of paper cutting can be traced back to the earliest the ancient Southern and Northern Dynasties (420 AD – 589 AD).. Models are often designed from events in jubilant festivals, folk dances, children or animals and others. They are very beautiful and interesting, and are very popular in China.

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Where to buy

  • Beijing Gongmei Mansion: Address: China, Beijing, Dongcheng, Wangfujing Ave, 281号工美大厦9层 邮政编码: 100006.
  • Silk Market: Address: China, Beijing, Chaoyang, 秀水东街8号 邮政编码: 100020/Hours: 9AM–10PM.
  • Hongqiao Market: Address: Dongcheng, China, 100062.

Cheapest things to buy in China: Beijing Peking Opera Masks

Most of the ethnic groups in China own their own masks that can be used on important occasions such as seasonal prayers, religious ceremonies, especially they appear in folk art forms of China.

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Appearing for a long time in Chinese history, today’s masks are elaborately crafted, eye-catching with prominent shapes and colors. This can be considered a unique product of China, so you can buy it as a gift or as a decoration for your space.

The art of making Beijing peking opera masks boasts a long history. This mask is used by performers when they act or dance. The faces of these characters are limited to only the roles of “jing” and “chou”.

A chou is a face characterized by a white nose and relatively few facial makeup patterns. There are a large number of facial makeup patterns for jing namely, “whole face”, “three-tile”, “quartered face”, “tiny-flowered face” , “lopsided face”…

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If you are an art lover, then Chinese masks are what you should be looking for. The art of expressing a story in opera form with masks. In which the actor changes the mask to show a more leading story. Masks are an essential prop in Chinese peking opera entertainment. You can buy from different shops around the Beijing theater. The masks come in a wide range of sizes, color combinations, and represent different festivals and eras.

Where to buy

  • Beijing Gongmei Mansion: Address: 200 Wangfujing Street, Dongcheng, Beijing 北京王府井200号.
  • Chang’an Grand Theatre (长安大戏院): Address: WC5J+W5X, Gongyuan W St, Chaoyangmen, Dongcheng, Beijing, China, 100005

What is famous in China for shopping: Jasmine tea

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Jasmine tea, a typical Chinese scented tea. It originated in the Song Dynasty, grew during the Ming Dynasty, and became popular during the Qing Dynasty. High quality jasmine tea made from green tea and scented with fresh jasmine flowers. It is one of the best flower tea varieties.

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Where to buy

  • To buying jasmine tea, tourists should go to Zhangyiyuan Tea Shop. It has a lot of branches with headquarters at Dashilan 22, Qianmen, Xuanwu district. Tel: 8610-63034001.
  • Or Wuyutai Tea House (Address: China, Beijing, Dongcheng, 王府井大街186号 邮政编码: 100006). Phone: +86 10 6525 4961

Good souvenirs from China: Mahjong Sets

A popular gift in China. | gifts to bring back from china

Referring to betting games, trying your luck in China, it is impossible not to mention the game of mahjong (mah-jongg). This is a game that is quite popular in this country and almost everyone knows it. It was developed in the 19th century and has spread throughout China since the early 20th century. It is commonly played by four players. So, why don’t you buy a set of Mahjong as a souvenir before leaving China?!

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Where to buy

It’s easy to find sets of mahjong anywhere you go in China from gift shops to department stores.

China gift ideas: Traditional Chinese Folding Paper Fans

Buy a paper fan as a gift? It may not sound impressive, but when you see these folding paper fans in China with your own eyes, you will have to think again. Paper fans in China are not simply a cool fan, but they are also paintings, showing the elegance, accessory, decorative item of the princes or the lightness, privacy and elegance for ladies, girls. This is considered a popular gift, easy to find and especially the price is quite reasonable. You can find them at all souvenir shops in the tourist areas.

The Chinese paper fan is a gift that most clearly shows the characteristics of Chinese culture and art. | gifts to bring back from china

What souvenirs to buy in China: Tea

A wide variety of Chinese teas. Tea is the most chosen gift by tourists. Tea is considered a spiritual beauty of the Chinese people.

The tea ceremony culture in China has been famous since feudal times. To this day, every Chinese person when goes to work always carrying a pot of tea. One of the most meaningful gifts brought back from a trip to China is tea. This is a gift that is both popular and healthy, easy to store, compact and easy to buy. China is most famous for its 5 types of tea including: Oolong tea, green tea, red tea, flower tea and compressed tea (tea bricks, tea cakes or tea lumps).

Yunnan Pu’er tea. | cheap shopping in china

Some of the most popular brands of tea by tourists include: Biluochun Tea (Green Snail Spring), Xinyang Maojian, West Lake Longjing (Dragon Well Tea), Junshan Yinzhen (Silver Needles of the Gentleman Mountain), Huangshan Maofeng, Wuyi Rock Tea, Keemun Tea (Qimen Black Tea), Duyun Maojian, Tieguanyin (Iron Goddess), Liu’an Melon Seed Tea), Huangshan Maofeng Tea, Da Hong Pao (Large Red Robe), Baihao Yinzhen Tea (White Hair Silver Needle), Pu-erh Tea. You can easily buy these teas at shops and markets when your trip itinerary passes through the above cities and regions.

Longjing tea | must buy things in china
Big Red Robe tea (Dahongpao 大红袍) is the best type of Wuyi Rock tea, with a history of over 300 years. | must buy things in china
Anxi Tieguanyin | must buy things in china
100g special grade gift packing Oolong tea Dahongpao. | must buy things in china

What to buy in China: Biluochun Green Tea (Spring Snail Tea)

Biluochun green tea tea is one of the ten famous Chinese teas and and is known as the king of green tea, tea trees are grown in Dongting Mountain, Taihu District, Jiangsu Province, China. It is a world-famous Chinese green tea made from only the finest green tea buds. Biluochun was widely spread and entered the treasure of tea history in the world with a history of over 1,000 years.

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This is one of the tributes offered to Chinese emperors in ancient times. If you like, you can buy a few tin boxes of Biluochun tea to give to the elderly. It has the effect of anti-cancer, anti-aging, preventing cardiovascular diseases and preventing cerebrovascular accidents, lowering blood pressure, preventing diabetes, lowering lipids and preventing hypertension, helping to strengthen bones. prevention of tooth decay, antibacterial and anti-viral, weight loss, anti-drunk, anti-radiation and ultraviolet (UV) …

Biluochun Tea is one of the best teas in China. | what to buy in china

What can you buy in China: Ink Wash Paintings

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This is a type of painting that is painted with ink on tissue paper and has a very long origin in China. The content of the paintings often depicts the scenery of the four seasons of the year or the images of plants and flowers, landscapes, clouds, rivers, mountains, daily life scenes… These images are conveyed by talented artists into the paintings under the eyes of art in the most soulful way. It can be said that ink wash paintings are the choice as souvenirs, unique decorations and add artistic and romantic beauty to your space.

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What souvenirs to buy in China: Chinese calligraphy

Calligraphy is the quintessence and soul of the Chinese people, an art form that is highly respected in this country. Sometimes it’s just black ink on white paper, the word paintings or landscape paintings. Simple black ink color with flexible curves shows elegance and sophistication. At tourist spots and assembly halls, you can easily meet artisans who are passionate about painting paintings with brushes, looking extremely elegant. These calligraphy displayed in the home also show more elegance and respect for the space.

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Chinese calligraphy is not attractive to viewers because of its bright and eye-catching colors, but because of the elegant and sophisticated lines in each sophisticated handwriting but very soulful and poetic.

Calligraphy is an art with strict rules that a calligrapher can master after a long time of practice. The content and form of the calligraphy must also be in harmony to determine the composition and layout in the work. Basically, there are five major styles in Chinese calligraphy – Zuan, Li, Tsao, Hsin, and Kai.

Elderly man painting traditional Chinese calligraphy. | what to buy in china

Calligraphy can be considered as the quintessence of Chinese culture. The flexible handwriting, the light lines, the bold lines all intertwine in harmony to create an attractive beauty at first sight, but also carry the deep meanings that the artist wants to convey to future generations.

What souvenirs to buy in China: Handicrafts

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China is a country of 56 ethnic groups living together in harmony. Because of that, it has brought to this country an extremely valuable history and an extremely rich national culture. Usually, this cultural beauty is expressed through souvenirs that are publicly sold at tourist shops in Beijing, Northwest Xingjian Province, Southwest, Guizhou and across China with popular items such as: local jewelry, traditional scarves, key chains, paper fans, elaborate and meticulous wood carvings…

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It would not be an understatement to recommend the craftsmen in China as the most skillful hands in the world. That is why handicrafts are the most special and valuable heritage of the ancient culture in China.

Best things to buy in China: Glasses

Shanghai International Glasses Mall. | best things to buy in china

In China, glasses are very cheap. It is one of the most popular and widely sold items. There are many types of glasses with different styles and designs. However, do not expect too much in terms of quality and brand. If you are concerned about that, you can go to the stores with ophthalmologists in the major cities. There the glass is of very good quality.

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Where to buy

  • One of the biggest glass places is located near the railway station in Shanghai.
  • In Beijing, there is a special glass market near Panjiayuan Antique Market. A pair of well-known non-branded glasses costs between 200-400 yuan. It depends on the quality of glasses and your bargaining skill.

Best things to buy in China: Leather goods

Leather goods are also items you should buy in China. There are many markets and shopping centers selling briefcases, backpacks, belts, etc. made of leather at much cheaper prices than in other countries.

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Visiting the markets, you can see handbags, purses sold at stalls, priced at 200-500 yuan, belts costing 100-200 yuan, etc. To prove it is genuine leather, many sellers will immediately use a lighter to reheat the product. And they will prove that it doesn’t melt or burn.

You should make sure that you receive that bag, rather than another prepackaged bag of a completely different quality. You should also test the zipper to make sure it’s working properly.

Inside Xiangtian genuine leather handbag market in Guangzhou. | best things to buy in china

Where to buy

In Beijing and Shanghai, there are many products to choose from. If you travel to Guangzhou, try visiting the Sanyuanli Leather Market or Xiangtian genuine leather handbag market.

Best things to buy in China: Jade

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Jade has been known as a precious gift from China for many generations. Shiny, bright jade items always exude a noble, aristocratic appearance, symbolizing perfection and strength in Chinese culture since ancient times. Here, you can find beautiful and exquisitely crafted items made from jade. Buying jade in China as a gift is a smart decision for those who have a love for gems.

With a history of more than 5,000 years, jade is considered a symbol of beauty, nobility, and steadfastness as well as strength in Chinese culture. Products made from jade always bring unique beauty, sophisticated and luxurious design. You can buy jewelry items made of jade such as bracelets, earrings, chains, rings, necklaces…

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Where to buy

To find the best quality jade, you should go to stores in Xinjiang, Liaoning, Henan or Nanyang.

Best things to buy in China: Antiques

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When it comes to antiques, China cannot be ignored. There are many antique stalls for sale in the marketplaces in major Chinese cities. However, be careful before buying because if you are not knowledgeable about antiques, you may be deceived by the seller. Buy at reputable places with clear documents!

Best China gifts: Pearls

hong kong souvenir items jewelry
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Pearls from oysters (Pinctada) and freshwater mussels have been farmed in China since the 3rd century AD. China has been the world’s largest producer of cultured pearls for more than three decades. Chu Ky is the birthplace of modern pearl culture. Come here to choose for your grandparents, mother or for yourself delicate and luxurious pearl products.

Best China gifts: Chinese knots

Zhongguo Jie in Chinese literally means Chinese knots. It is given as a sign for wishing people health and happiness year by year. It is a kind of art knotting.

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Chinese knotting is a decorative handicraft arts that originated as a form of Chinese folk art in the Tang Dynasty and Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD) in China. It was popular in the Ming and Qing Dynasty (1368-1911 AD).

Best Chinese gifts: Traditional Chinese medicine

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What to buy in China as a gift for grandparents and parents? The answer is traditional medicine. Traditional Chinese medicine withe main ingredients of herbs and spices has been used in the country for thousands of years to treat a variety of ailments. According to this tradition, ginseng is a very popular natural heating agent that helps regulate blood sugar and balance metabolism. Other popular natural health gifts might be ginger root and Gingko Biloba and other therapies.

Best Chinese gifts: Confectionery

With its sweet culture, China offers tourists very delicious confectionery specialties, many flavors, extremely varieties, suitable for the taste of Vietnamese people. You can find Chinese confectionery specialties throughout the shops, grocery stores or stalls in supermarkets or department stores. Choosing confectionery as a gift to bring back to relatives after a trip to China is considered completely reasonable because it is not only affordable but also compact, easy to eat and easy to pack.

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Most Chinese people have a taste for sweets, so there are many shops and supermarkets that offer delicious sweet specialties at a full price range. You can buy cheesecake, crispy peanuts, malt sugar… and countless other delicious candy and sweets.

Sweets store | best chinese gifts

Best Chinese souvenirs: Drie fruit, jam

Sipping a cup of rich, fragrant tea and chewing a little sweet dried fruits, jam is nothing more better. Dried fruit jam is considered a unique and delicious Chinese tourist gift. The Chinese have their very own secret to preserve and make the best jams from persimmons, peaches, apricots, plums… If you are traveling to China, you have really set foot in the world of dried fruit and jam.

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Chinese jam is quite different from jams of many other countries because it has a separate recipe and is preserved very carefully, creating a sweet taste that is easy to eat. You can easily find jams at stores in Beijing and throughout China at very affordable prices.

Must buy in China: Ergoutou

If you want to buy Chinese specialties as a gift, don’t hesitate to go to liquor stores and choose for yourself a bottle of Ergoutou which is also called “Chinese white liquor” or “Chinese vodka”, a liquor made from sorghum that is naturally distilled through many stages for 6 months which is 56% alcohol by volume.

Chinese vodka | best chinese gifts

Er guo tou is quite cheap, and very popular among blue-collar workers in Beijing. It is probably the most commonly drunk baijiu in Beijing, and is typical of Beijing. You can easy find it in any shops, department stores.

Must buy in China: Fashion and accessories

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Of course, an indispensable thing when traveling to China is shopping for fashion items because Chinese clothes not only have a stable quality, commensurate with the price, but also have a variety of designs and are suitable for everyone. You can stop by Chinese shopping paradises in Guangzhou or even Beijing to find yourself the best clothes!

Liubiju pickles

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This dish is considered as a gift that is both simple and practical in any meals. Chinese Liubiji pickles have been around since 1530. The gift is packaged in glass or vacuum sealed jars, which is very convenient for tourists.

Other Souvenirs: In addition gifts we introduced above, you can refer to other souvenirs such as: Local jewelry, traditional shawls, key chains, T-shirts, lanterns, kites… and many more.

China shopping guide: Where to buy in China: What to buy in China as souvenirs by region?

Every time you travel to China, you will not be able to visit the whole vast country, so we would like to introduce to you a few notable souvenirs in the regions that we know and we also recommend some best places to buy in China in major cities for you refer to.

Beijing

Wangfujing

Coming to Beijing, you cannot ignore this neighborhood. It is likened to a shopping and entertainment paradise. You will find all kinds of brands on this street. From the high-end to the popular brands, it’s all there. Prices vary, from high to low for you to choose freely. In particular, Wangfujing at night has a lot of traditional dishes. Coming to Beijing, you should buy pearls.

Beijing is the capital of China here you can buy pearls and immerse yourself in the world of dried fruit here. Please visit the Wangfujing Avenue to hang out and shopping. | china shopping guide

Wangfujing shopping street is ranked by tourists as the No. 1 shopping paradise in Beijing, this neighborhood with the famous and bustling shopping center Beijing Department Store. This shopping center has been around for a long time with an extremely bustling and fun shopping atmosphere. Here you can easily choose for yourself the products with quality from affordable to high-end, suitable for your budget.

Shanghai

Shanghai ranks in the top 10 of shopping paradises in the world. It is famous for 2 shopping areas: The City God Temple and Nanjing street.

The City God Temple is the old town with many stalls. Coming here, you will admire the ancient space. The ancient architecture is imbued with ancient imprints. The stalls sell souvenirs with a variety of items from antiques, jewelry to clothes… all have enough. Here, after visiting the old town, visitors can comfortably walk, watch the city, shop for souvenirs, or fake fashion items “made in China” but look like the real thing. at a relatively cheap price (note that you should pay about 1/5 of the price offered by the seller).

If you have the opportunity to come to Shanghai, don’t forget the The City God Temple and Nanjing streets to buy silk and countless other gifts. | china shopping guide

Nanjing street with modern and bustling shops. In addition, there are leading shopping malls and high-end stores. From clothes, decorative items, bags, … are sold with many designs and prices. Not only that, this place is famous for its street shows. You can both shop and enjoy art entertainment.

One of the items that many people buy is silk carpets. Silk carpets in Shanghai are highly appreciated, both in terms of quality, design and price.

Nanjing street. | china shopping guide

Suzhou

Guanqian Street

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Suzhou is one of the top tourist destinations. The famous shopping area here is Guanqian pedestrian street. Although not as bustling as Wangfujing in Beijing or Nanjing street in Shanghai, this place is still loved by many tourists. Diverse goods with many models. In particular, there are many traditional products of Suzhou for sale, including silk. Suzhou silk in the past was a product only for emperors. For generations, Suzhou silk has retained its inherent reputation.

Shantang Street

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Shantang Street is a place specializing in selling tourist souvenirs in Suzhou along with poetic canals and hanging red lanterns, where visitors can learn and admire the beauty of traditional items such as silk brocades, Suzhou embroidered products, Biluochun tea, wood carvings, Suzhou paper fan… and bought a few items as souvenirs.

Luoyang

You definitely cannot ignore the famous Luoyang. Luoyang ceramics has a long-standing tradition. The unique beauty of ceramic items will make you marvel in awe. The products are meticulously cared for every detail. The ceramics here are quality and handcrafted. Therefore, this will be a special gift for your trip.

Chengdu

Chunxi Road

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The shopping centers of Chengdu are concentrated on Chunxi Road. This is the biggest, busiest shopping district in the city. Small shops, shopping malls, department stores, supermarkets, cafes and restaurants make it a fun area to visit. It’s also a great place to sample savory local snacks.

Guangzhou

Don’t forget to visit China’s largest shopping center, Guangzhou. In this city, there will be all kinds of things for you to choose from from clothes, shoes to toys, electronics, etc. When you get there, you will lose all day lost in this maze of goods.

Shangxiajiu Street

Shangxiajiu Pedestrian Shopping Street is 1200 meters long and concentrates more than 300 different stores, including many famous brands. Along the street are unique and ancient architectures that fully reflect Lingnan (Southern China) culture. There are also restaurants for you to enjoy delectable local dishes.

Lhasa, Tibet

Barkhor Street

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Barkhor is located in the heart of Lhasa surrounding Jokhang Temple. In the past, this place was a “holy path” in the eyes of Tibetans. Now, it is also a shopping district with ancient features reflecting the colorful Tibetan culture. On Barkhor Street, you can find souvenirs and experience the road full of religious mysteries. Small inns were built all over the street.

Harbin

Central Street

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Central street is a pedestrian-only cobblestone street. It is full of shops, restaurants, old architecture from the Russian era and many shopping centers. Central Avenue is part of a town that was originally built by the Russians about 110 years ago. Previously, this street was called China Street. You will find several stores with Russian products appearing here.

China shopping guide: Some shopping tips in China

Coming to a country with so many beautiful gifts worth buying like China, surely you cannot avoid surprises and embarrassment. To choose to buy a satisfactory item, expressing the soul and national culture with real value, you should immediately save a few of the following tips:

  • Sellers often challenge prices with tourists. The price they say can be double or even 3, 4 times the original price. Therefore, you should negotiate and ask the price carefully before buying. The thing to keep in mind here is that you must maintain a calm, polite demeanor. Do not be short-tempered or rude to give the seller a bad impression. Another thing is that you should go through several stalls to check the prices first. Knowing the general prices will help you shop better.
  • Stores in China are usually open from 9am to 7pm. But there are also many markets that are extremely bustling and vibrant at night. So if you can’t buy gifts during the day, you can choose to take a walk in the evening to buy some things for your loved ones home.
  • Don’t buy anything on the first day. Your trip to China usually lasts more than 1 day, then you should spend the first day observing and deciding what items you want to buy. Avoid collecting everything you see as soon as you see it and regretting it when you see something better the next day.
  • Each region in China will have its own outstanding and characteristic products. That’s why you should buy specialties of those places. For example, in Suzhou, you should buy silk, but when you go to Xian, buy antique ceramics or when traveling to Beijing, remember to buy pearls. Then you will choose the best product with the best price.
  • Bargaining is a must when buying gifts in China. In most tourist spots, souvenir stalls say the price is higher than the actual value of the product. So you should bargain or check prices through several stores before deciding to buy something.
  • China is known as the world factory. The goods here have all kinds of different models with all kinds of prices. If you’re not careful, you may end up buying fakes at real prices. You need to carefully check the goods before buying. Especially when sellers offer surprisingly low prices, be careful. A product of famous brands cannot have such a cheap price. The most counterfeited items are electronics.
  • At commercial centers or stores in China, card payments are accepted. However, Chinese people tend to like to receive cash, so you should exchange some money to make it easier for you to pay.
  • In markets, especially night markets, security is not guaranteed. You need to pay attention to preserving your belongings, do not carry too much cash.

Some best day tours, trips, activities and transfer services, tickets in, from and to Beijing you can refer to

Read more China guide here.