What are good things to buy while in Shanghai China
 

My husband will be in Shanghai for a week and I would like him to bring something back.
I'm female, almost 65 and wonder what they have that you can't find here - . Not sure what's on people's shopping list! Love wall hangings, fabric, no food or clothes.
Thanks
Melissa

There aren't a lot of things I buy in CHina, but a few ideas:

Yixing teapots
Fine Chinese tea - I like the Pearl Jasmine or the fancy presentation teas - tied into flowers (sometimes multi-tiered) that open when you pour hot water on them.

Make sure your husband knows not to believe what any merchant tells him. Anything goes in China. For example, red painted concrete is sold as red jade, even in shops in expensive hotels. Advise him not to surprise you with someone pricey, since it will most likely be a fake.

Marija, the owner of a red concrete Son of Dragon

lol, Marija is so right! No jewelry, even from places recommended by someone, nothing that is supposed to be "antique," no European designer goods, etc.

"Advise him not to surprise you with someone pricey" now that will be ground for a divorce!

Just my opinion ---shopping in China by men who are there attending meetings and conferences is kind of difficult as time is limited and they need to find the right place to go.
Western style malls and high end shops are many and easy to reach, although prices are high and you can buy the stuff anywhere.
But going to a Chinese shopping area is a time consuming affair as one has to haggle as prices are never fixed and then one does not know if the item they like is genuine. Thus, not easy for impatient men with an hour to shop!!!
I have several friends who have experienced this problem, thus I am sharing.
Anyway, good things to buy would be the Yixing teapots, which are tiny made with special clay and can be found easily although the really good ones are pricey and the imitation ones are very cheap.
There are many tea shops and if he has time he can even taste some of the teas and chose what he likes.
Silk scarves, silk embroidered slippers, small silk pouches and bags are really very pretty and reasonable at most places. He can even find them at the airport if he was unable to find them in some local shops.
Wall hangings of Chinese paintings are really beautiful, easy to carry and if he finds the right store reasonable in price.
One important thing to remind him is to haggle and bring the price way down.
I personally like to buy porcelain items--teacups, teapots, tiny bowls etc. all with Chinese designs. They are very gorgeous and I think affordable. Of course, carrying them is an added stress, but I have managed a few small items with ease.
Hope he finds something for you.

These ideas are SO helpful - thank you all very very much.
Melissa

We bought some cheap "finger paintings" We watched the guy do it. We also bought a stitched "painting" on white fabric of a several fish in a pond. We watched the woman making them. We bought a piece of red fabric that was intricately stitched with a scene of 2 dragons. All are gorgeous and look great framed. The down side is that the art is only 10% of the total cost once you add the custom framing and mats at home.

I visited China in May 2013 and they have become really pricey over the years as there are alot of tourists in the main shanghai city centre.

I stayed just a few roads away from the Najing Road shopping street, this I would say is the main shopping area in Shanghai. I found a little tea shop just on the main road that is owned by a young couple. I bought some teas and a very cute and good quality tea set that I have displayed in my home as a remembrance from the city.

This shop is super cheap and because my sister and I bought alot of things from them, they threw in a few free goodies.

I bought many nice"silk" scarves . We went to the fabric market, and on the upper levels in the center are stalls that sell less expensive table runners and scarves. On the street out side I bought some necklaces..very unique ones for next to nothing. Tell him to bargain hard, and walk away if he is not getting his price. They will come after you if they want the sale. Shanghai is a fabulous shopping city.

We bought a couple 'stitched' paintings and they are beautiful reminders of our visit. I also bought a couple tiny glass bottles which are painted with a design on the inside of the bottle. One of them is of bamboo and the other is of cherry blossoms. Very intricate and unique art form we have only seen in China. We watched the artist paint them. Just amazing. The fabric covered boxes the bottles were packed in are beautiful also. I have them set out with the bottles.

There are a lot to see in Shanghai and of course a lot to Shanghai when traveling in Shanghai. You can buy some silk products, porcelain, silverware, calligraphy works, paintings, wood carvings, weaving and embroidery. These items could be great choices for souvenirs and gifts.

Like michele_d I bought several of those small glass bottles with the delicate painting on the inside. Very unique and small for transport home. I think they were called snuff bottles??

I also bought what is called a leaf vein painting but not while in Shanghai. I think I got it in Chongqing. It's a painting done on the leaf of a big tree-think it was a banyan tree. Very different.

I also bought some wall hangings as gifts.

I bought some very nice fans and sets of chopsticks-good for gifts.

For myself I bought a very small dragon statue made fro jadeite. I know it's authentic because I had it checked when I arrived home. It's on display on one of my end tables and each time I see it it makes me remember our trip to China. However, it could just as easily have turned out to be a fake and then I would have been out lots of money and I would not have had those good memories so I'll agree and say don't have your husband buy anything like jewelry or from jade unless he really knows his stuff. I also took a leap of faith and bought a black pearl necklace, bracelet, and earrings. It was hard to match all 3 pieces for size and color. They weren't cheap and fortunately for me when I took them to my regular jewelry store to ask about having the pearls from the bracelet restrung to make the necklace longer I was told they were genuine and that I had gotten a "bargain".

Tea is a safe item and very different in taste from tea back home. I bought what was called Emperor's tea and also those tea flower things that Kathie mentioned. I only wish that when we were at the tea place-think it was Dragon Well-that I didn't buy a Yixing teapot set.


I had stamps made for myself and daughter with our names in English and in Chinese. Couldn't fit Christine so mine says Chris which is what everyone calls me anyway!

pearls

silk

shoes

Remember that any pearls you buy are likely to be "pearls." Certainly don't pay genuine pearl prices.

<Remember that any pearls you buy are likely to be "pearls." Certainly don't pay genuine pearl prices.>

I don't understand. Are you saying that even at the jewelry showrooms you don't believe the pearls are real? Or are you talking about at the street vendors?

Even in jewelry showrooms you will find fakes. More likely, in the case of pearls, you will find low quality petals being sold as higher quality pearls. I wouldn't buy ANYTHING of value in China. Even the Chinese go to Hong Kong to buy jewelry or other more expensive items.

Buy craft items, as you mentioned, but jewelry - no.

the pearls we looked at and bought are/were of a decent quality when weighed against price...

but yes be leery about everything in china.

for instance we bought some silk and they pulled a fast one when measuring it... the same happened with cottons that our friend bought. BE VERY OBSERVANT and check everything.

The best quality souvenirs (not the cheapest ones) are often found in museums. The Shanghai Museum has a pretty good shop.