While most pottery shops tend to sell ornamental vases, the ECI Art Gallery offers beautiful pottery which is practical and makes your home more beautiful.

The shop is not far from the Forbidden City near the Beijing International Hotel. It offers a selection of pottery pencil & flower vases and ashtrays.

The strangely wonderful designs of their products really drew me in.
There I saw a Great Wall shaped pencil vase, with the famous Chairman Mao saying: He who has never been to the Great Wall is not a true man.

The design is great yet practical. And it only costs RMB 80.
I personally like the stone-shape vase, carved by an old Chinese slangs, which roughly translates to ‘Be sure to remain ignorant when the situation calls for it’.

So I bought the vase for RMB 90 with a 10% off.
Also there are a selection of yak-bone rings, turquoise-studded bracelets, and colorful clothing from Tibet and Nepal.

Prices vary, from RMB 30 for a string of rosary to several hundred RMBs for a Nepalese Saari.
The manager is Mr. Kang, who speaks a little English.