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China has a wonderful variety of raw materials due to its vast territory and
various climates. The tumultuous history of Chinese civilization has left
behind a rich cultural heritage, which can be found in traditional arts and
crafts. Shopping is a major activity for tourists who come to China. High up
on their shopping lists are silk products, embroidery, Chinese calligraphy
and paintings, Chinese medicine, cloisonne enamel, ceramics, carvings, woven
arts and crafts, lacquer ware, Chinese fans, the four treasures of the
study, tea, liquor, folk arts and crafts, and local products.
1.Silk. China is known as the home of Silk. Silkworms are raised in many
places, such as Jiangsu, Guangdong, Hunan, and Sichuan. Hangzhou is the most
famous city in China for silk products in great variety, including silk,
satin, damask, and brocades.
2.Embroidery. The four most famous types of embroidery in China are
embroideries from Jiangsu, Hunan, Guangdong, and Sichuan provinces. The most
famous styles of brocade are yunjin from Nanjing, songjin from Suzhou, and shujin
from Sichuan. There are other well known styles of brocade made by minority peoples,
such as Zhuang, Dai Li, Dong, and Tujia.
3.Chinese calligraphy and paintings. Chinese calligraphy and paintings form
a cross-section of the traditional Chinese culture. High-grade calligraphy and
paintings are the best souvenirs for foreign travelers. Most works are done on
a kind of paper known as xuan. There are also other forms of art, such as shell
paintings from Dalian, Qingdao, Beihai, Guangdong, and Fujian; bark paste-ups from
Jilin; soft-wood paintings from Fuzhou; paintings on bamboo curtains from Sichuan; straw
patchwork from Guangdong and Heilongjiang and feather paste-ups from
Shenyang and Shandong.
4.Ceramics. Ceramics is one of the many traditional Chinese handicrafts. The
best pottery-making sites in China are Yixing in Jiangsu Province, Shiwan in
Guangdong Province, and Luoyang in Henan Province. Luoyang's tri-colored
glazed pottery is world famous. It uses red, green and white colors to
imitate the tri-colored glazed pottery popular in the Tang Dynasty. Yixing
mainly produces pottery for daily use. Pottery from Shiwan is simple and
unsophisticated, often used to make containers in the shape of human
figures.
Other famous products include porcelain from Jingdezhen in Jiangxi Province,
Longquan porcelain from Zhejiang Province, jun and ru porcelain from Henan, and porcelain from
Tangshan and Xuanhua in Hebei Province. Jingdezhen is known as the Capital of Ceramics.
5.Traditional Chinese medicine. Traditional Chinese medicine is famous for
its large variety and amazing effectiveness. The most popular Chinese medicinal herbs are ginseng,
saussurea involucrata, Chinese caterpillar fungus, matrimony vine, licorice, root of hairy asiabell, and
fritillary bulb.
6.Carvings. Many materials are used for carvings, such as jade, stone, wood,
bamboo, ink slab, coal, crystal, willow branches, roots, and shells.
7.Cloisonne enamel. Beijing is the main producer of cloisonne enamel.
Popular during the reign of Emperor Jing Tai (1450-1457) of the Ming
Dynasty, cloisonne enamelware includes vases, bowls, plates, desk lamps, and
cups.
8.Four treasures of the study. The four treasures of the study are the
writing brush, ink, the ink slab, and paper. Regions famous for xuan paper,
ink, brushes, and ink slabs are Jingxian County in Anhui Province, Shexian
County in Anhui Province, Huzhou in Zhejiang Province, Zhaoqing in Guangdong
Province, and Wuyuan in Jiangxi Province. The four treasures of the study
make up one of the best souvenirs of traditional Chinese
culture.
9.Lacquer ware. Lacquer ware is a traditional Chinese handicraft. The
regions best-known for producing lacquer ware in China are Beijing, Fuzhou,
Yangzhou in Jiangsu Province, and various regions in Sichuan Province.
10.Woven articles. Articles. Bamboo, rattan, palm fiber, and wheat straw are
used as raw materials for woven articles. The most famous woven articles are
woven bamboo ware from Nanjing, summer sleeping mats from Anhui and Hunan
provinces, articles made of wheat stalks and plaited com husks, and articles
of woven rattan, hemp and straw from Guangdong and Zhejiang provinces.
11.Chinese fans. Chinese fans are popular tourist souvenirs for foreign
friends. They come in a large variety and are of good quality. The most famous
fan-producing regions are Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Sichuan, and Guangdong provinces.
12.Tea. China was one of the first countries to grow and process tea, and
Chinese tea is famous around the world. Chinese tea can be divided into black tea,
green tea, scented tea, and Oolong. The famous brands are longjing from Hangzhou,
biluochun from Dongting Lake, tunlu and qihong from Anhui, maofeng from Mt. Huangshan,
yihong from Hubei, jasmine from Beijing, and tieguanyin from Fujian.
13.Liquor, china was one of the first countries to brew liquor and today has
many kinds of liquor, such as white spirits, yellow-rice wine, millet wine,
red wine, fruit wine, and beer. The most famous types of Chinese liquors are
maotai, fenjiu, wuliangye, gujinggongjiu, yanghedaqu, jiannanchun, red wine,
white wine, brandy dongjiu, specially made Beijing brandy, luzhoulaojiao
tequ, shaoxing jiafan, zhuyeqing, Qingdao Beer, Yantai Red Wine, and
chengangjiu.
Other choices for souvenirs are blankets, rugs silk umbrellas, New Year's
paintings papercuts, kites, traditional and ethnic clothes, and traditional
toys. Famous local products include candied fruits from Beijing, raisins
from Xinjiang, cashmere and camel hair products from inner Mongolia, caracul
from Qinghai, sheepskin from Ningxia, and fur from Jilin.
To help tourists buy what they want, many local travel agencies have
accredited high-quality shopping centers or department stores as "fixed" or
"reliable." All shopping centers or department stores recommended in this
brochure have been approved by the appropriate government agencies. The
tourist can also change money in medium and large-sized stores, which also
offer other services such as mail-order, consignment, and customs
applications for customers. These centers will offer the best services and
goods at fair prices.
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