For silver jewels, The Miao are one of the most fascinating ethnic minorities in China. Recently, I found a Miao handicrafts shop on Yandai Xiejie. I was impressed by their silver ornaments and wax printing works.

The shop owner Mr. Zhang was dressed in the Miao traditional dress. He told me that Miao silver ornaments have a history of 400 years. The Miao have a variety of items that can brighten up your look from head to toe: silver headdresses, earrings, necklaces, bracelets, clothing accessories, waistbands, and anklets.

Miao girls are very partial to silver jewelry, as they see silver as a symbol of purity. And according to Miao customs, the larger, heavier, and more plentiful silver ornaments are considered the most beautiful.

Mr. Zhang showed me a pair of silver earrings. They feature long, beautiful twin birds. The silver threads are as thin as hair. Every detail is so fine.

The headdresses looked pretty heavy. I was afraid to wear any one of them, and it’s not a good idea if you have a slender neck.

The blue cloth items with white patterns are actually wax printings. The patterns show beautiful flowers and Miao girls.

The cloth is made in a unique way: they draw an image on a piece of fabric with wax, and dip the fabric into a vat that contains dark blue dye. The parts of the fabric with wax cannot be dyed, so it will show off a gorgeous white pattern when the wax is removed.

At last, here’s a tip to identify a real wax printing: Take a close look at a real wax painting work, you will find a number of fine, irregular blue crackles on the white area. They are caused when folding the wax-covered area, and the blue dye seizes the opportunity to permeate through the cracks.

Yu Hai Ying Zhou is an excellent shop for fans of Chinese ethnic products. Located behind the Palace museum of the Forbidden City near the Beijing Redwall Hotel, it carries a wide selection of deep Chinese ethnic handicrafts and accessories.

Most accessories, like sofa cushions, tea sets, tablecloths, Chinese knots, and china vases, make for wonderful interior decoration.

While the handicrafts cover a wide variety of items from silk handbags to Shanxi shadow puppets.

I found the shop assistants, who speak a little English, easy to engage. They recommended, among other things, the shadow puppets coming from Shannxi, the home province of leather-silhouette show. They also said the Miao silver jewels are a must have.

This ancient art uses puppets made of donkey or ox leather to create shadows on a piece of white cloth, with performers behind the scene controlling the action.

The puppets can be surprisingly detailed, such as a framed ‘General’ Puppet on display (RMB 120).

Two items I personally liked were an embroidered silk pillow(RMB 65) and a silk handbag (RMB 60).

The pillow felt very soft, and had a delicate fragrance. The silk handbag looked beautiful and would make a great gift.

Beijing Deep Mountains Bamboo Art Studio Near The Forbidden City

‘Da Shan Qing’ — Mountain Gifts, is a famous brand selling bamboo art near the Forbidden City and The Emperor Hotel in Beijing.

Coming from XianNing, a mountainous city where bamboos are abundant, Mountain Gifts offers a large selection of bamboo books and sculptures.

The crafters of the shop use the ancient way to make bamboo books – by hand-carving on the narrow bamboo strips.

Their themes include Dream of Red Mansion, legend of Eight Immortals, Chairman Mao’s snow poem, and Sun Tzu’s Art of War. Each piece sells around RMB 300.

In the bamboo sculpture section, I was enthralled by the sculpture of “Zhu Lin Qi Xian” – the seven famous scholars of the 3 Kingdoms era.

The carving works were excellent, as I could see clearly the smallest details. Ms. Zhang, the owner, said a good bamboo sculpture doesn’t come easy.

Qualified bamboo is hard to find and the shape will largely affect the sculpture process. That particular artwork is priced at about RMB 2,000.

The shop also offers little bamboo products, such as jars, dishes, food baskets, spoons, and trays.

Neiliansheng, the Most Famous and Historic Shoeshop in Beijing

Neiliansheng Shoeshop is located at Dashilar near the Beijing Redwall Hotel, a well-known old commercial street in Beijing. Neiliansheng is one of the China’s time-honored brands.

Many famous Chinese leaders, such as Chairman Mao, Zhou Enlai, Deng Xiaoping, had their feet shoed in Neiliansheng.


Neiliansheng was established by high-ranking official Zhao Ting, and by General Ding in 1853 (Qing Dynasty). The two partners raised ten thousand taels of silver, and opened the shoeshop.

The name Neiliansheng means that wearing these shoes one could get promoted continuously three levels at the Qing imperial court.

Neiliansheng shoes are exquisitely made from superior materials, and famous at home and abroad for their comfort and durability.
 
The shoemaker has won many awards in competitions.


In its current incarnation, Neiliansheng is a modern shop with traditional Chinese architecture features.

Outside of the three-storey building, you can see two big black-colored plaques with three golden Chinese characters Neiliansheng are hung above outside the first and the second floors separately.

When you enter the shop, you can see another huge black plaque with seven golden Chinese characters meaning ‘the First Cloth Shoe Shop in China’.

On the first floor, handmade cloth shoes, children’s shoes, slippers and high-grade leather shoes are on display.

On the right behind the entrance, there is a showcase in which the shoes Chinese leaders wore are on show.

Neiliansheng fashion cloth shoes, brand cloth shoes, and children’s shoes series are sold on the second floor.

In addition, the shop features an exhibition hall with a theme “Celebrities and Cloth Shoes”.

The third floor is reserved to leather shoes, brand leather shoes and top hats.


A pair of Neiliansheng cloth shoes costs RMB 148 ~ 325; a pair of Neiliansheng handmade men’s leather shoes costs RMB 898.


According to the shop assistants I talked to, the shop is visited from time to time by foreign clients. They appreciate the cloth shoes with traditional designs and historical reputation.

They often buy cloth shoes as souvenirs or gifts as well.

Known as the “health-giving tea” and “beauty-slimming tea” in China, Puer tea is something you won’t regret trying out.
 
This famous tea from the Yunnan province of southern China gives you both taste and health benefits.
 
For tea-loving tourists, the large Yunnan Pu’er Tea Market offers convenient location near the Tian’anmen Square near a lot of Beijing hotels.
 
It is here on the second floor where I found Leyuanyu Pu’er Tea Shop.


The shopkeeper, Mr. Wang, warmly invited me to sit down and sample their fermented and unfermented teas.
 
Decorated with unique items from the hometown of Pu’er tea, Leyuanyu provided me a great tea-tasting experience.
 
The stone elephants, wooden decorations, and green plants soon led me into a relax state.
 
Fermented tea looks red, and tastes kinda sweet. Unfermented tea looks like amber. They taste somewhat bitter at first, but give a sweet after-taste.
 
Mr. Wang said all their Pu’er tea comes from naturally grown trees without any human interference. They offer two famous brands: “National Chinese” and “Image of Washan Mountain”.


The former has won many prizes in Pu’er tea competitions.
 
Looking around, I found a wide variety of compressed Pu’er tea on display. The compressed nature makes them easy to carry.
 
Some even come in nice small packages fit for presents or souvenirs. Prices are reasonable.
 
One particular 250g “Tea Horse Ancient Road Pu’er Brick Tea” cost only RMB 50, for instance.

Located at the northwest of Jianguomen Bridge near a lot of Beijing hotels, Dehua Porcelain Outlet specializes in both the famous white and red porcelain made in Dehua County, Fujian Province.
 
Outside the shop there’s a red sign that reads “China White”, “China” here means porcelain.
 
Dehua, Jingdezhen of Jiangxi Province and Liling of Hunan Province ranks the three biggest capitals of Porcelain in China.
 
Dehua is famous for its time-honored white porcelain and modern unique red porcelain.
 
Dehua white porcelain originated in the Song Dynasty (A.D. 960~1279). It has made tremendous strides ever since the Ming Dynasty (A.D. 1368~1644).
 
It features white color, semi-transparency and shining glaze. So the white porcelain has earned the names of China White, Ivory White or Cream White.
 
In the shop, a lot of white porcelain works are on display, for instance, the statue of Guanyin (the Goddess of Mercy). The most impressive one is entitled “the Soul of Chrysanthemum”.
 
Its pendant filaments are so slight that it has to be kept from touching in a showcase.
 
Dehua red porcelain is a modern outcome through generations’ effort. In traditional Chinese culture, red color represents happiness, auspiciousness and prosperity.
 
Many red porcelain wares have been sent to foreign dignitaries as national treasures. These exhibits will bring you strong visual impact.
 
Both Dehua white and red porcelain are of great value. Their prices start from several thousand yuan.
 
In addition, the shop also carries porcelain wares made in Dehua for daily use, including tea sets, coffee cups & saucers, salt & pepper shakers, bowls & plates.
 
Price for a set of exquisite tea sets including one tea pot and six tea cups is RMB 300.

If you like Chinese tea, you won’t regret paying a visit to Tea Researcher near a lot of Beijing hotels. The shop offers many types of tea, from various tea planting regions in Asia, and also from Europe and Africa.

Until then this tea shop has opened less than a dozen branches in Beijing.

I was at first attracted by a tea gift box composed of two packages of Dahongpao (大红袍).

Dahongpao is one of the rare and excellent Wulong teas (often spelled Oolong) and its price is pretty expensive.

According to the tea shop assistant (who could speak a little English), the variety of Dahongpao carried by the shop is of a high quality. Its prices range from RMB 65 per 15g to RMB 238 per 60g.

Tea Researcher packages their teas in different hues: the green tag denotes Chinese tea, the purple one is reserved for Japanese and Korean teas.

European and African teas are packaged in blue and brown boxes respectively.

The shop assistant recommended both Dahongpao and Dongding Wulong, a tea harvested and fermented in Taiwan.

The taste of Wulong tea is even more magnificent when you infuse it in a Zisha teapot (Zisha a special mineral deposit which is ground to make a paste with which skilled craftsmen make very exclusive teapots).

She also told me Mocha (抹茶) imported from Japan would benefit a girl’s skin. Sencha (煎茶), another popular tea from Japan, has a little sweet and freshly green taste.

Prices range from RMB 50 per 15g up to RMB 300 per 60g. More expensive gift boxes were priced at over RMB 500. No bargaining.

Beijing Deep Mountains Bamboo Art Studio Near The Forbidden City

‘Da Shan Qing’ — Mountain Gifts, is a famous brand selling bamboo art near the Forbidden City and Beijing Emperor Hotel in Beijing.

Coming from XianNing, a mountainous city where bamboos are abundant, Mountain Gifts offers a large selection of bamboo books and sculptures.

The crafters of the shop use the ancient way to make bamboo books – by hand-carving on the narrow bamboo strips.

Their themes include Dream of Red Mansion, legend of Eight Immortals, Chairman Mao’s snow poem, and Sun Tzu’s Art of War. Each piece sells around RMB 300.

In the bamboo sculpture section, I was enthralled by the sculpture of “Zhu Lin Qi Xian” – the seven famous scholars of the 3 Kingdoms era.

The carving works were excellent, as I could see clearly the smallest details. Ms. Zhang, the owner, said a good bamboo sculpture doesn’t come easy.

Qualified bamboo is hard to find and the shape will largely affect the sculpture process. That particular artwork is priced at about RMB 2,000.

The shop also offers little bamboo products, such as jars, dishes, food baskets, spoons, and trays.

 
 
Jun ware is a type of celadon, with a strange blue and white color due to its unique makeup.
Those who wish to obtain some of the best Jun ware in Beijing can find a nice shop conveniently located near the Forbidden City not far from Beijing Emperor Hotel.
 
It is called Yan Bao Tang.
This shop offers a selection of Jun porcelain made straight from the origin, Yu County in Henan. There, the Jun ware were made using an ancient kiln excavated 3 decades ago.
 
I had a chat with Mr. Wang, the shop owner and noted connoisseur. He told me he was fascinated by Jun porcelain and the process - Furnace Transmutation.
 
This technique could make shimmering chinaware by the irregular application of glaze.
In the shop, I saw a mountain-themed plate. But after the Furnace Transmutation process, a Santa image popped up unexpectedly.
 
This is the magic of Furnace Transmutation. Before the process finished, you’d never know what you are going to get. This particular plate costs around RMB 2,500.
 
Though most of the products copy traditional designs, there are some modern patterns.
 
Two bottle vases with bronze lace and flames are actually designed by Mr. Han Meilin, who created Beijing’s Olympic mascots. Each vase sells for around RMB 3,000.

Handicrafts, especially the Old Beijing handicrafts, are an essential culture of Beijing.

Located near the Forbidden City in inner of Beijing near the Beijing Redwall Hotel, Ya Xuan carries a large selection of traditional Chinese and old Beijing handicrafts.

They offer cloth soles, Peking opera masks, clay figurines, Chinese knot, and more.

Browsing through the shop, I can’t resist picking up a grinning ‘Huan Xi Wa Wa’ – Happiness Doll.

People believe it brings good luck to families and gives newlyweds a life-long bond. Each sells for around RMB 20.

The pottery works of old Beijing residential gates (RMB 150) really brought back old memories.
The weeds on roofs, the mottled bricks of the walls, and the worn-away footsteps, are all beautifully reproduced here.

Another interesting item is the zodiac pendant. They have one for each animal, each with a different meaning.

For example, fish means ‘abundance’, “Fu” symbols ‘blessing’, and the boar is for ‘Happiness’. Each of pendants sells for RMB 50.

The owner is very nice and speaks a little English.

On the east side of Wangfujing Street lies a shop named Jianhua Fur and Leather right near a lot of Beijing hotels.
With a history of more than 80 years, the shop mainly carries high quality fur coats and leather jackets.

Entering the shop, I found out it has a spacious shopping area. The key section features the “Snowflake” leather jackets.

A middle-aged female shop assistant told me that “Snowflake” is China’s Time-honored Brand, and has won the Good Quality Product Award many times.

A black leather jacket caught my eye. It was in a simple design, but the workmanship looked superb, and the leather very delicate. I touched it, and it felt very soft.
The price tag for it was RMB 2,580.

Other items on display include leather handbags, purses and wallets, and Tang suits (traditional Chinese attire).

Customers buying the goods could enjoy up to 20 percent discount. The shop also offers made-to-order service and fur coat processing service.

Beijng Wangfujing Walk Street near the Beijing Redwall Hotel and Beijing International Hotel is one of the most famous venues for shopping in Beijing.

Strolling up and down this crowded street, passers-by have scores of choices to indulge in their favorite sin.
In this multitude of shops, I spotted one in particular which offers various kinds of exquisite ornaments.

This shop is located on the 2nd floor of the Artworks Mansion.
They have an abundance of jade, golden and silver jewelries, Tibetan ornaments, and figures of Buddha carved of rare timbers.

The shop not only offers various kinds of ornaments, but it is also a study center for Buddhists.
As I visited this huge place, a smiling assistant served me all the time. On each wall, numerous figures of Buddha carved of rare timbers.

In the glass display tables at the center, ornaments are categorized showed based on their materials: crystal, colored glaze, wood, and jade.

Each Buddha figurine is accompanied by a tag showing the type of timber, the name of the Buddha, the country of production.

I was interested in a deep brown color figurine (RMB 26,000) made of a Vietnamese wood called Nanmu (楠木). Its expression and the decorations around had been carved carefully by the craftsman.

Then the shop assistant showed me a set of crystal bracelets.
She explained that each Chinese zodiac animal matched a kind of crystal. For example, the goat matched a deep purple crystal, supposedly capable of absorbing body toxins. A box contained 12 crystal bracelets of 12 different colors, priced each at RMB 268.

Prices for Buddha figurines ranged from RMB 500 to RMB 50,000, and for other ornaments from RMB 200 to RMB 20,000. Bargaining is not customary in this shop.

The Artworks Mansion hosts other shops on the 2nd floor.
In general, their prices ranged from RMB 10 to much more. Again, no bargaining is really possible with the shop assistants.

Fortunately, prices are clearly marked and the shop assistants can speak a little English.

One of China’s most time-honored traditions is the fine art of paper cutting, which has been around since ancient times.

Zi Yi Xuan, a Paper-cutting shop right near a lot of Beijing Hotels, offers a large selection of paper-cutting works in the center of Beijing.
They make paper cuttings of all sorts of themes, including shadow puppets, peacocks, playing children, opera figures, and court ladies.

Mr. Li, the owner, said one of the most popular items is the set of 12 Chinese Zodiac animals, believed to bring happiness and success to their owner. The works look lively, and the animals seem to pop out from the paper. The set sells around RMB 900.

I also picked up a colorful fish paper-cutting commonly seen during the Chinese spring festivals. People use them to adorn their doors and windows during Spring Festival. The fish express their wishes for more wealth. It sells only for RMB 25.

Other popular themes include historical tales, auspicious animals, and daily life scenes. I even found some Fuwa mascots for the Olympics.

Mr. Li speaks a little English. Communication should not be a problem.