From tea and silk to jade and knockoff sneakers — plus how to get 11% of your money back.
What to buy
- Tea — Longjing (Hangzhou), pu'er (Yunnan), tieguanyin (Fujian). Taste before buying; decent gift tea runs ¥100–400 per 100g
- Silk — Suzhou and Hangzhou; scarves and qipao dresses. Real silk feels warm, not cold
- Porcelain — Jingdezhen ware, from ¥30 cups to art pieces
- Handicrafts — paper cuts, cloisonné, chopstick sets, masks from Sichuan opera
- Snacks — White Rabbit candy, haw flakes, and vacuum-packed duck for the folks back home
Where
- Supermarkets and official flagship stores for food and tea (fixed prices, genuine)
- Antique/craft markets (Beijing Panjiayuan, Shanghai Dongtai Road) for fun browsing — assume everything "antique" is a reproduction and bargain hard (start at 30–40% of asking)
- Malls in China are spectacular and fixed-price; no bargaining there
Departure tax refund — claim your 11%
Foreign tourists get VAT back on purchases:
- Spend ¥500+ in one store on one day at a Tax Free marked store
- Show your passport at checkout; get the refund form + invoice
- At the departure airport (major ports only), show the unused goods, receipts, and form at the customs refund counter before check-in
- Collect cash or card refund after security
Customs warning: Never buy ivory, rhino horn, coral, or endangered-species products — criminal offense, not just confiscation. "Antique" items over a certain age also need export permits; buy from licensed shops that provide certificates.