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There are many exotic and unusual things to buy in China which make wonderful souvenirs and gifts for relatives and friends back home. One such is silk. Chinese silk is famous for its magnificent quality, color and variety. Silk products from Hangzhou, Sichuan, Suzhou and Dandong are particularly good.
Tea: There are hundreds of varieties of Chinese tea. They can be classified into five categories - green tea, black tea, brick tea, scented tea, and oolong tea. The top ten teas in China are as follows; any of them would make a wonderful gift for your friends. Longjing produced near West Lake, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Biluochun from Wu County in Jiangsu, Huangshan Maofeng from Mt. Huangshan in Anhui , Junshan Silver Needle from Qingluo Island on Dongting Lake, Qimen Black Tea from Qimen County in Anhui, Liuan Guapian from Liuan County in Anhui
Xinyang Maojian from Xinyang in Henan, Duyun Maojian from Duyun Mountain in Guizhou, Wuyi Rock Tea from Wuyi Mountain in Fujian , Tieguanyin from Anxi County in Fujian.
Wines and Spirits: Alcoholic drinks, in ancient China, were regarded as sacred and were used only in sacrifices. Today, however, wines and spirits are becoming popular as accompaniments to Chinese food. The following wines and spirits have won many international awards: Yanghe Daqu and Shuanggou Daqu from Jiangsu, Gujing Tribute Liquor from Anhui, Maotai and Dong Liquor from Guizhou, Wuliangye, Jiannanchun and Luzhou Laojiao from Sichuan, Fenjiu Liquor from Shanxi
Antiques: If you're an antique enthusiast, China is the place for you! Fascinating antique and curio shops and market stalls are to be found in most cities and country towns. Care is needed, however, when buying expensive items to ensure, for example, that the item carries the official red seal of the shop and the sale documents are in order. Chinese law forbids the export of antiques dated earlier than 1795.
Chinese Medicinal Materials: Traditional Chinese Medicine is an integral part of Chinese life and culture. With its unique diagnostic methods, systematic approach, abundant historical literature and materials, Traditional Chinese Medicine has found many adherents in Western countries.
The use of traditional herbs and potions lies at the core of Chinese medicine. Mostly made from animal and plant materials, these medicines have proved effective for treating a wide range of illnesses and disorders. Tonics based on herbs are also popular. Examples of the materials used in the preparation of medicines and tonics are ginseng, antler, rhubarb horse-tails, bezoars, angelica, Tianqi, licorice root, apricot kernel and the root of balloon flower.
In recent years, for the sake of protecting endangered animals, the preparation of medicinal materials from rare animals, such as musk, antler, leopard and tiger bone, rhinoceros horn and elephant skin, has been restricted. Such medicines cannot be exported from China; however, tourists can export Chinese herbs with a total value of less than 300 RMB (per person).
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The "four treasures of study" - namely writing brush, ink stick, ink slab, paper - play an important part in Chinese culture. You may want a set for your own study or to give as a unique gift to your friends. The best writing materials are said to be Xuan paper and Hui ink stick from Anhui, Duan ink slab from Guangdong and Hu writing brush from Zhejiang.
Porcelain: Porcelain, originating in old China, is still a major industry, producing dinner services, figurines and reproductions of antique vases, teapots and the like. The finest porcelain in the world can be easily purchased in China.
Cloisonne: Cloisonn (enamel formed in patterns of copper wire) is an art form developed in the 15th century, and now used to decorate vases, bowls, lamps, jewelry and ornaments. Cloisonne is an enamel handicraft made with roughcast brass and copper wire inlay. It is one of the traditional arts and crafts in Beijing. It first appeared in the Yuan Dynasty and was greatly developed during the Jingtai reign of Ming.
Jiangtailan was the name of the dazzling color of one of the most frequently used cloisonne enamels which appeared at that time, thus it is now used to refer to cloisonne enamels in general. The cloisonne process begin with the casting of bronze into different shapes-vases, bowls, boxes, and even bracelets- to which flat copper wire is then affixed in decorative patterns. Enamels of different colours are applied to fill the "cloisons" or hollows. Each cloisonne piece is fired three times with a fresh coat of enamel each time. After firing, the pieces are ground and polished to look like gold. This requires sophisticated techniques and artistic flair.
Lacquerware: Lacquerware consists of up 500 coats of lacquer applied to a copper base and carved into designs. The colors are red, green, yellow and black, while favorite patterns show flowers, birds, landscapes and figures. Lacquer is used for vases, plates, bowls and screens. Some lacquerware is inlaid with gold, mother-of-pearl or jade, to decorate folding screens and furniture which are genuine works of art. Lacquerware originated in the Han Dynasty, more than 2,000 years ago, but it reached Beijing about 1,000 years later in the Tang Dynasty. Techniques improved throughout the Yuan and Ming dynasties.
There are two types of carved lacquerware: metal and non-metal roughcast. The former has an enamel lining, and the later has a lacquer lining. Many layers, ( up to a few hundred), of lacquer are applied to the box to a thickness of 5-18mm. After the lacquer has dried, it is carved, in relief of fretwork, by hand with landscapes, figures, flowers, birds, animals or other patterns. Beijing lacquerware is applied to a variety of objects, such as vases, plates, boxes, jars and decorated screens. They make nice decorative presents.
Jade: Jade is regarded by the Chinese as a stone descended from heaven. They value its hard, cool texture and translucent colors. It is extremely difficult to carve but China's craftsmen create incredibly intricate ornaments and jewelry from jade.
Jade carving appeared first in the Shang and Zhou dynasties about 3,000 years ago when it had become a separate profession and excavations have shown the fine workmanship of that time.
The materials used for jade carving include all kinds of hard stones, such as jadeite, nephrite, red agate, white agate, crystal, amethyst, coral, ruby and sapphire. It is a special skill to exploit the natural color of a piece of jade to create an effective design. So the most expensive ones are not those of one single color, but those of multiple colour, the carving skillfully enhancing the different colors in an object. These jade carvings are highly collectable. There are also other jade items of more practical use, such as rings, necklaces, earrings, pendants, seals and cigarette holders. Yunnan, a province bordering Burma, has the largest jade carving and marketing center in China.
Carpets: Carpets, of China whether modern or antique are available for use as tapestries or rugs. Carpet-making came to Beijing in the Qing Dynasty when Tibetan lamas were summoned to the capital to set up a carpet training shop at Baoguosi ( Temple of Safeguarding the Country) to produce carpets for the imperial palaces. By the end of the Qing Dynasty, Beijing carpets had gained fame both at home and abroad.
Beijing carpets mainly employ the traditional designs, suck as dragon and phoenix, longevity characters, flowers, pine trees, cranes, lions, goats, bats, tigers, wheels, conch shells, parasols, lutes, chess pieces and Chinese paintings. These carpets are brightly colored, soft and durable. They are made in all different sizes, from room-sized carpets to chair-sized ones. There are some wall carpets with new designs, such as landscapes, paintings, figures and famous places in China.
Embroidery: Embroidery has a long history, and embroideries from Suzhou, Hunan, Guangdong and Sichuan are the most famous.
Suzhou embroidery: Originated in the State of Wu during the Spring and Autumn Period ( 770-476 B.C.), whose capital was Suzhou. The embroidery is flat, neat, delicate, dense, even, smooth and shiny with beautiful designs, graceful colors, and a lovely unique style. In the past, almost every woman in Suzhou knew how to do embroidery, and nobody would marry a girl who did not know how to embroider.
Hunan embroidery: Originated in Hunan Province in southern-central China during the Western Han Dynasty (206 B.C.-A.D. 24).It features fine design, fresh colours and flexible stitch-work. Figures, landscapes, flowers, birds and animals are its main designs, in a unique artistic style.
Guangdong embroidery: It is rooted in Guangdong Province with a long history of over 1,000 years dating back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907). Guangdong embroidery is well-known for its gorgeous color, distinct contrasts, vigorous design and string decorative characteristics.
Sichuan embroidery: It originated in the Han Dynasty (206B.C.-A.D. 220). The traditional handicraft of Sichuan in western China, it has a unique quality create by its even stitches, shiny thread, smooth design and perfect craft.
Batiks: Chinese batiks originated in the Han Dynasty (206 B.C.-A.D220) and were also popular in the Tang Dynasty (618-907). Gradually this wax printing vanished in central China but was preserved among the national minorities in Yunnan and Guizhou. It is a cloth printing technique in which pictures are drawn on cloth with wax and the clothes then dyed indigo. After a dewaxing process, the cloth shows white patterns against a background color. Batiks present natural, classical and graceful beauty, and have a strong artistic tradition. They can be made into clothes, tablecloth, bags, handkerchiefs, curtains, bedspreads, etc.
Painting and Calligraphy Scrolls: Painting and calligraphy works are found in most antique shops. One of the best sources is the courtyard-parking in East Liulichang.
Handicraft: Clay figurines and animals can be traced back to 1840s, and are still one of the most unique crafts in North China. Dough modeling is another traditional folk art handed down from ancient times. Kneaded in half-cooked glutinous rice flour, dough figures, flowers and birds are popular small toys and exhibits in Beijing.
Toy Monkeys are loved by the children. The monkey is a near sacred animal in old Chinese folk tales. These toy monkeys are meticulously made and shown engaged in a variety of activities.
Paper cutting: Paper cutting is one the most popular handicrafts in Beijing. There is a wider variety of paper cutting patterns that you can imagine available.
Kites: Kites can be used as ornaments and toys. One of China's favorite past times is flying kites, especially in Beijing where there is usually plenty of wind around to send them soaring into the sky. Available in many art and craft stores, kites are among the best Chinese presents to friends back home.
Snuff bottles, with paintings inside, represent a popular art from the Qing Dynasty and make excellent small gifts. You and your friends will marvel for years on how the artist paints such intricate drawings on the inside of these very small bottles.
Bone products, made from oxen an camel bones, include knives, fords, spoons, bracelets and necklaces.
Books: Every year 20,000 book titles and 1,300 periodicals are published in Beijing, home of the Commercial Press and other well-known publishing houses. They make up a small part of the stock of the city's major book shops, where you can find beautiful art books, translations of Chinese classics and textbooks on all known subjects. Prices are reasonable, particularly in the Foreign Languages Bookstores.
The Beijing Foreign Languages Bookstore and Beijing Xinhua Bookstore (with 137 branches around town) are major book sellers. The China Book Store in Liulichang birds and repairs all kinds of books and periodicals as well as selling them. Another good place for books is Haitian Book Street near Beijing University.
