SHOPPING IN CHINA Shopping in China is becoming more and more upscale, with China growing to be a traveller's hotspot, with its world class hotels, exotic attractions, and a wealth of cultural traditions. Shopping in China is probably one of the best reasons to visit this country. Your visit would remain incomplete if you left out the wonderful experience of shopping.

Your experience of shopping in China promises to be amazingly varied. Here you will get everything from high quality silks and porcelains to antique screens and traditional Chinese herbal medicines. There is an incredible choice of boutique shops, department stores, and shopping arcades to browse through. Stores will often pack and arrange for shipping of bulky items back home. You are sure to be dazzled by the unique array of aesthetic and practical gifts that can be purchased in the many interesting markets.

To make shopping in China more memorable, you should ideally buy products with a regional accent. The following are some of the best things to shop for in China: silk, embroidery, clothes, jewelry, antiques, furniture, carpets, paintings, carvings, pottery, jade, cloisonné, lacquerware and tea.

Our tour will include visits to the best shopping places in China:

Beijing
Shopaholics will love Beijing! The popular Silk Alley (Xiushui Shichang) is a paradise for silk clothing, stuffed toys, shoes and imitation goods among other things. Vendors sell silk in all shapes and sizes – ties, shorts, scarves, lingerie, dresses, with prices lower than those in Hong Kong. A few blocks away is Yabaolu Market, commonly known as the Russian Market. This place is a huge clothing market that specializes in cotton and wool garments as well as goose-down jackets.

Hongqiao farmer's market is famous for its antiques. You are not expected to pay exorbitant prices as most goods are under a century old. The best collection of antique clocks and Mao paraphernalia are found here.

For traditional Chinese paintings, calligraphy supplies and rare books, check around Liulichang. This is a street lined with antique and craft stores, filled with ambience and mystery. Pay a visit to the bird market at Xizhimen overpass where you will find an extensive array of feathered friends, elegant handmade cages, ceramic feeders and other avian accessories.

Three of the liveliest shopping streets in the city center are Wangfujing, Xidan and Dongdan. Inexpensive local goods such as leather and furs are obtainable at bargain prices, with more boutiques and watch stores replacing the old ones.

Shanghai
Shanghai is one big shopping center. Your shopping desires can be satiated here, as there are countless shopping streets and department stores in the city. Silk dresses are good buys as Shanghainese tailors are the best in China. Other value for money items include down jackets, T-shirts, gold and silver ornaments, enamelware, embroidered clothing, tea, and antiques. Shoes and bags are reasonably priced. Major shopping streets in Shanghai are Nanjing Donglu, Huaihai Zhonglu, Ruijinlu, Sichuan Beilu, Jinling Donglu, and Nanjing Xilu. Keep in mind that shopping is a local pastime in Shanghai, so you will have ample opportunity to mix with the locals.

Suzhou
Suzhou is world famous for its silk and embroidery. Other good buys are sandalwood folding fans, silk fans, wood cut paintings, jade carvings, calligraphy and pearl jewelry. There are some interesting local products worth buying such as green tea, velvet blankets, mooncakes and pine-seed candles. Suzhou has another unique feature – kesi, or carved silk, which makes use of a weaving process that mixes raw and boiled silk. Material of this type was once reserved for imperial robes but can now be bought as paintings, scrolls and waistbands.

Come join us for a true shopping adventure! We will take you to see how pearls are harvested, to silk factories where the buys are excellent, and to many wonderful local markets where the bargaining is fun and the prices are low!