What to Buy

What to Buy

For centuries, buyers from around the world lusted after the luxury fabrics produced in Suzhou. Silk-spinning worms were in such high demand that to take one abroad was punishable by death. The Suzhou Arts and Crafts Museum contains some of the most accomplished silk embroideries you'll find in China. Another place to try is the Suzhou Silk Museum Shop.

The superlative mountain vistas at Huangshan and Taishan have inspired artists for centuries. Painters flock to this area, and the most serious of them will camp out for weeks at a time. Most of the best artwork goes straight to Shanghai or Beijing, but good pieces are available in the towns nearest to the mountains such as Tunxi near Huangshan or Tai'an, the gateway to Taishan.

Nanjing is a major commercial center and a convenient place to pick up the traditional crafts that come from Jiangsu. Interesting souvenirs include teapots, carvings, flowing silks, folk paper cuttings, and copies of the lavish embroidered robes once worn by emperors.