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.