Shopping

Unique gifts and memoirs include rice bowls, chopsticks, decorative fans, silks, and traditional artistry. Bargaining is generally practiced everywhere except in large stores. Shops are usually open daily and stay open until late in the evening.

Beijing:
Beijing has more than 13, 000 retail stores and 10 famous shopping streets. Wa Wangfujing, Dongdanbei, Longfusi, Xidanbei, Qianmen, Xiusuhi streets, and Liulichang Cultural Street are some of the famous shopping streets in Beijing that boast modern malls, boutiques or shops selling artifacts or other souvenirs.

Xi’an:
The street markets of Xi’an are ideal destinations for collecting souvenirs, antiques, and electronics. Visitors keen on painting can also head for the wayside stalls near the Small Goose Pagoda and Banpo Museums.

Shanghai:
Some of the famous shopping destinations of Shanghai are Nanjing Road, Fuzhou Road, Huaihai Road, Sichuan, Dongtai Road, Huating Road and others. The Xujiahui commercial district and Yuyuan Tourist Trade City are also quite popular with the tourists.

Local and Chinese handicrafts, as well as inexpensive international brands, can be found in street markets, department stores, and shopping centers throughout the city.

Hong Kong:
Hong Kong is still known as an excellent destination for shopping, especially for goods from the Mainland. Prices are often comparably cheaper than Europe, North America, or Japan, especially since Hong Kong has no sales tax (VAT). Although Hong Kong prices are still expensive by regional standards, the choice and variety is a lot better than in most south-east Asian countries. Popular shopping items include consumer electronics, custom clothing, shoes, jewelry, expensive brand-name goods, Chinese antiques, toys and Chinese herbs/medicine. There's also a wide choice of European clothing, though prices tend to be higher.

Many stores in Hong Kong (even some chain stores) are willing to negotiate on price, particularly for goods such as consumer electronics. Always feel free to ask "is there any discount?" and "do I get any free gift?" when buying anything in the territory. You can often get an additional discount if you pay cash (since the store can avoid paying the credit card charges).