Shopping in Hangzhou

As a "land of fish and rice" and a "land of silk", Zhejiang abounds in native products and arts and crafts. These include silk products, Hangzhou brocade, West Lake longjing tea, Shaoxing rice wine, Huzhou writing brushes, Jinhua hams, Hangzhou white chrysanthemums, Wang Xing's fans, Qingtian stone carvings, Dongyang wood sculptures, and Leqing carvings fashioned out of Chinese little leaf box wood. Among the famous local fruits and melons are peaches of Fenghua, oranges of Huangyan, pommels of Mazhan, loquats of Tangxi, watermelons of Pinghu, and jujubes of Yiwu.

The Yan'an Road is most prosperous commercial area in Hangzhou City, with shopping centers standing in great numbers and a great variety of goods on sale, catering to the demands of Chinese and foreign visitors at different levels. There are 155 shopping centers (stores) on the Yan'an Road, with 11,561 employees and a floor space of 352,901.4sq. meters. Of the ten major retail shopping centers in Hangzhou, 7 are located on this road, and also they have convenient and complete facilities for transportation and service.

A round the Wulin Square there are large shopping facilities such as the "Bada", "Guoda", the shopping center of the Hangzhou Mansion, and the Wanjiawu Supermarket, forming a facility concentrated block for visitors to go shopping.

In designated shopping centers, special counters have been set up for local products. In those major attractions in the West Lake scenic zone and the Song City, there are more than 10 kinds of tourist souvenirs reflecting features of these spots.

Bamboo Chopsticks

While bamboo chopsticks may not sound very impressive, Hangzhou's bamboo chopsticks are nice as souvenirs and are attractive craft items. They are made of bamboo from the Tianzhushan area of Hangzhou. As early as the 3rd to 5th centuries AD, peasants in the Tianzhushan area began making chopsticks. In modern times, production techniques have become highly advanced and refined. Painted designs and calligraphy can be added and the chopsticks can be inlaid with silver, ivory, bone or pearl at their ends. Expect to pay a little more for these miniature works of art, but don't forget to haggle!

Hangzhou Silk Umbrella

Nothing says romance like a stroll along the West Lake, protected from the noon sun by an elegant and beautiful Hangzhou silk umbrella. Since the 1930s, Hangzhou has been famous throughout China for making silk umbrellas from Hangzhou silk and Zhejiang bamboo.

As red as the dawn, green as spring water, or blue as the clear sky, these silk umbrellas can be made in a rainbow of colors and designs. Some umbrellas are hand painted with landscapes or other beautiful, fanciful designs and can be very valuable.

Large attractions like Lingyin Temple or Tiger Running Spring both have merchants selling umbrellas. Also, Hangzhou Friendship Store is a good place to look.

Hangzhou Chrysanthemum

According to Chinese medicine, drinking Chrysanthemum Tea (Baijuhua Cha) cools and detoxifies the body. Along with varieties from Anhui and Henan provinces, Hangzhou's White Chrysanthemum enjoys a excellent reputation as THE best variety of this herb.

Chrysanthemum flowers are usually about half an inch in diameter and white or slightly yellow in color and are sold dried in plastic packaging. Soak some dried White Chrysanthemum flowers in hot boiled water for a few minutes and you will have a cup of light, fragrant and slightly sweet Chrysanthemum Tea. Another way to drink the tea is to add a little bit of sugar for extra sweetness.

Chrysanthemum Tea can be purchased throughout Hangzhou. Try your hotel's convenience store (if it has one) or a local grocery store.

Longjing Tea

Longjing Tea is one of China's best teas and is one reason for Hangzhou's international fame. The tea is grown in the Longjing mountain area of Hangzhou, southwest of the West Lake. The flat and smooth tea leaves (resembling pine needles with a yellow to dark green color) brew a tea with light to dark green color, a fragrant scent, and a refreshing taste.

Longjing Tea can be bought throughout Hangzhou, but the best place to buy Longjing Tea is the Longjing ("Dragon Well") area of Hangzhou. The tea there is said to be the best Longjing available. Alternatively, the tea can be purchased around other Hangzhou attractions, but the quality of the tea might not be as good.

The Hangzhou Longjing Tea Store is another good place to purchase Longjing Tea, but watch out for slightly high prices. On the other hand, quality should be better than buying from hawkers on the street.

Hangzhou Silk

Along with Suzhou, Hangzhou silk is the best in the world and has been since the Tang and Song Dynasties, a period of over 1,000 years. Between Hangzhou and Suzhou, Suzhou's embroidery is the best in China, and Hangzhou is known for producing excellent silks and satins. In Hangzhou, the variety of silks available seems endless. Hangzhou satin is famous and one of the area's most successful export products. The layered weaving process is very labor intensive and produces fabulously luxurious fabric that feels great next on the skin.

Try the Hangzhou Friendship Store,the Hangzhou Meilun Textiles Store, or the Hangzhou Silk Store for silk and satin items.

There is also a silk market between Fengqi Lu and Tianmushan Lu. Most of the silk is artificial (real silk is very expensive!), but most stalls will have some real silk. Don't forget to haggle! You can get some really great prices.

Tailors are also available throughout Hangzhou to make dresses, shirts, and other clothing from silk and satin in a matter of days.