China is one of the world’s great shopping destinations — not just for cheap souvenirs, but for genuinely exceptional goods that represent centuries of craft tradition. The challenge is knowing where to look and how to avoid counterfeit or overpriced tourist-trap versions.
Table of contents
Open Table of contents
Best Things to Buy in China
Tea (茶叶)
China produces the world’s finest teas and buying directly from production regions gives you access to quality that’s rarely exported. Key types and where to find them authentically:
| Tea Type | Chinese Name | Best Buying Location |
|---|---|---|
| Dragon Well green tea | 龙井茶 | Longjing Village, Hangzhou |
| Pu-erh dark tea | 普洱茶 | Yunnan Tea Market, Kunming / Pu’er city |
| Wuyi Rock Oolong | 武夷岩茶 | Wuyishan, Fujian |
| Tie Guan Yin oolong | 铁观音 | Anxi, Fujian |
| Keemun black tea | 祁门红茶 | Qimen, Anhui |
| Biluochun green | 碧螺春 | Dongting Hill, Suzhou |
| Yellow Mountain Maofeng | 黄山毛峰 | Tangkou, Huangshan area |
Pricing guide: Expect ¥100–¥500 per 100g for decent quality; very cheap tea (¥30 per 100g) is usually low-grade blends. In tourist areas, always taste before buying.
Avoid: Pre-packaged “gift set” teas sold at airport souvenir shops — invariably overpriced and average quality.
Silk (丝绸)
Suzhou and Hangzhou are China’s silk capitals. Genuine silk products include:
- Scarves and shawls (¥80–¥500)
- Qipao/cheongsam dresses (¥300–¥2,000 custom-made)
- Silk bedding (duvet covers, pillowcases)
- Embroidery artwork (Suzhou embroidery is world-famous)
Where to buy genuinely:
- Suzhou Silk Museum shop — certified products, not cheap but authentic
- Hangzhou Silk Town (丝绸城) — large market, negotiate prices
- China National Silk Museum, Hangzhou — shop with provenance guarantees
Fake test: Burn a small thread end — real silk smells like burnt hair and leaves a crushable ash. Synthetic silk smells like burning plastic.
Ceramics & Porcelain (陶瓷)
Jingdezhen, Jiangxi Province is the uncontested ceramics capital of the world, producing porcelain for over 1,700 years. Options range from mass-produced souvenir pieces to extraordinary artisan works:
- Taobao Street (淘宝街) — affordable factory seconds and student work, great for browsing
- Ceramic Art Avenue (陶瓷艺术大道) — established artisan studios
- Sanbao International Ceramic Village — residential artist community with studios open to visitors
Other ceramics traditions worth seeking out:
- Yixing purple clay teapots (宜兴紫砂壶) — Jiangsu province; essential for Oolong tea brewing (¥200–¥50,000+)
- Longquan celadon (龙泉青瓷) — Zhejiang; pale green glazed ceramics of great elegance
Traditional Crafts
Cloisonné (景泰蓝) — Beijing; enamel on copper. Museum-quality pieces from Enamel Factory on Andingmen Outer St.
Lacquerware (漆器) — Fuzhou and Yangzhou produce excellent pieces; look for traditional box sets with inlaid designs.
Paper-cutting (剪纸) — Beautiful folk art from Shanxi and Shaanxi; genuine hand-cut pieces are sold at village markets and folk art museums (¥20–¥200).
Ink stones and calligraphy supplies — The Liulichang Cultural Street in Beijing is the best single destination for brush, ink, stone, and paper.
Chinese Medicine Products (中药保健品)
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) products make excellent gifts for health-conscious friends:
- Baihuayou (白花油) — essential oil balm, great for headaches and muscle pain
- Tiger Balm (虎标万金油) — widely available at pharmacies (¥15–¥30)
- Wolfberries/Goji berries (枸杞) — Ningxia produces the best; buy at markets not tourist shops
- Aged vinegar (陈醋) — Shanxi aged vinegar is a genuine regional specialty
Note: Check customs rules in your home country before purchasing traditional medicine products containing animal-derived ingredients.
Where to Shop
Traditional Markets
Panjiayuan Antiques Market, Beijing (潘家园旧货市场) Open weekends; China’s largest antiques and curios market. Mix of genuine antiques and reproductions — assume everything is a reproduction unless you’re an expert. Great for ceramics, Mao-era memorabilia, vintage jewelry, calligraphy.
Yuyuan Bazaar, Shanghai (豫园商城) Touristy but a good one-stop shop for silk fans, tea sets, jade jewelry, and handcrafts. Prices are negotiable; always start at 40–50% of the asking price.
Qingping Market, Guangzhou (清平中药市场) China’s largest traditional medicine wholesale market — an extraordinary sensory experience. Also sells dried goods, spices, and exotic ingredients.
Wenwan Street Markets “Wenwan” (文玩) stalls selling Buddhist beads, jade, carved stone, and amulets appear near temples throughout China. Fun browsing regardless of whether you buy.
Modern Shopping Districts
Nanjing Road, Shanghai — China’s most famous shopping street; both the pedestrian section (West) and the broader road offer international brands plus Chinese department stores.
Wangfujing, Beijing — Central shopping strip with the famous snack street at the north end (largely tourist-targeted food).
Taikoo Li, Chengdu/Beijing/Shanghai — Open-air designer shopping complexes; excellent for both luxury brands and design-forward Chinese labels.
Contemporary Chinese Fashion
Chinese fashion designers are gaining global recognition. For independent Chinese labels:
- Shanghai: Xintiandi and Found 158 area — local designer boutiques
- Beijing: 798 Art District — concept stores and Chinese streetwear brands
- Chengdu: Taikoo Li and Yulin area — thriving streetwear and designer scene
Notable Chinese brands worth exploring: Exception (例外), JNBY (江南布衣), Peacebird (太平鸟), Umamiism, Bosie.
Bargaining Guide
Where bargaining is expected: Traditional markets, street stalls, small shops without price tags, souvenir areas.
Where bargaining is NOT appropriate: Supermarkets, convenience stores, department stores, any shop with clearly displayed fixed prices, restaurants.
How to bargain effectively:
- Show interest but not desperation. Pick up multiple items casually.
- Start at 30–40% of the asking price for tourist market goods.
- Use your phone calculator to type numbers back and forth.
- Be prepared to walk away — vendors will often call you back with a better price.
- Bundle deals: Buying multiple items significantly improves your negotiating position.
- Be pleasant. A smile and some goodwill goes a long way; aggressive bargaining is considered rude.
Tax Refund for Foreign Tourists
China operates a Value Added Tax (VAT) refund scheme for foreign visitors purchasing goods at participating retailers.
Eligibility
- Overseas visitor (not mainland China resident)
- Minimum spend of ¥500 in a single day at the same retailer (some retailers have higher minimums)
- Goods must be exported within 90 days of purchase
- Shop must display the “Tax Refund” logo
How to Claim
- Ask the cashier for a Tax Refund Form (退税申请单) at the time of purchase.
- At the airport, find the Customs Declaration window before check-in and get your form stamped (you may need to show the goods).
- Proceed to the Tax Refund Counter (usually airside) to receive your refund — cash (RMB), credit card, or Alipay.
Refund Rate
Standard VAT refund is approximately 9–11% of the purchase price.
Participating cities: Beijing Capital & Daxing airports, Shanghai Pudong & Hongqiao, Guangzhou Baiyun, Chengdu Tianfu, and 14 other major airports.
Avoiding Fakes and Scams
Tea Scams (most common in tourist areas)
Friendly locals invite you for “free tea ceremony,” then present a massive bill for the tea and ceremony. Never accept unsolicited invitations to tea ceremonies in Beijing, Shanghai, or Xi’an.
Jade and Gemstones
China produces beautiful authentic jade (nephrite and jadeite), but the market is saturated with dyed stone, glass, and synthetic material. Without expertise, assume tourist-area jade is not investment-quality. Buy for aesthetics, not value.
Silk Quality
“Silk” scarves sold for ¥30–¥50 are almost always synthetic. Real mulberry silk costs more; use the burn test (see above).
Antiques
Genuine antiques cannot legally be exported from China without a Cultural Relics Export Certificate. Almost everything sold as an “antique” in tourist markets is a reproduction — which is fine if you like it for decorative purposes, but don’t pay antique prices.