317 Best Places to Shop in China

One of the best foreign-language bookstores in all of Yunnan.

Established by London-born antiques dealer Susan Man, this spot in the Wong Chuk Hang industrial district stocks 20th-century decorative arts, European antiques, and Scandinavian furniture.

Found throughout the city, this chain sells everything from shampoo and lotions to emery boards and cough medicine (western and Chinese brands). Some stores have pharmacies.

A name frequently passed on by expert Hong Kong shoppers, Margaret Wong's tailoring services run from women's daywear to gowns to Chinese cheongsam. Prices tend to be midrange.

Classic, good-quality clothing is what this British retailer has built an empire on—its underwear, in particular, is viewed as a national treasure. Although basics are on the staid side, the newer Per Una, Autograph, and Limited collections are decidedly trendier. Marks & Spencer is also one of the few stores in town to stock a full range of sizes, which includes women's shoes up to a U.S. size 10 and men's up to U.S. size 12. There are branches in many of Hong Kong's malls, the biggest of which is in Cityplaza; most have a British specialty food section, too, with a good range of wines.

After you've found a handful of reputable, high-quality tailors, one way to choose between them is price. Maxwell's is known for its competitive rates. It's also a wonderful place to have favorite men’s and women’s shirts and suits copied. It was founded by third-generation tailor Ken Maxwell in 1961 and follows Shanghai tailoring traditions, while also providing the fabled 24-hour suit upon request. The showroom and workshop are in Kowloon, but son Andy and his team take appointments in the United States, Canada, Australia, and Europe twice annually.

Since the 1960s, Mayer has been making excellent custom-order shoes and accessories in leather, lizard, crocodile, and ostrich. Go to them for the classic pieces for which they became famous rather than this season's "it" bag. Prices for ladies shoes start at several hundred U.S. dollars and peak at roughly US$2,000.

Anyone who loves a good thrift-store rummage will delight in the messy abandon of Me & George (also known as Mee & Gee), not to mention the rock-bottom prices. Clothing here start at HK$10. Yes, you heard right! Expect a mix of poorly made factory rejects and vintage dresses, shoes, and handbags. Fitting is not usually allowed (as is the case with most small fashion import outlets), but staff are often tolerant of quick try-ons in front of a mirror.

This 18-story mall is a great option for family shopping expeditions: those with minimal retail stamina can amuse themselves at IKEA, the IMAX theater, or the skating rink, and there are also numerous on-site eateries. However, unlike other malls that are in walking distance from MTR stations, visitors need to take a free shuttle here from the Kowloon Bay MTR station. To catch it, exit the MTR station at Exit A and go through Telford Plaza; you can always ask the Plaza concierge if you're confused. Shuttles run about every 10 minutes.

In Gulou, the only real currency is "vintage." Fresh-from-the-factory retro T-shirts have their place, but nothing can replace leafing through the racks at Mega Mega Vintage in search of gold. Distressed denim, classic tees, leather bags, and old-style dresses crown a collection that rises high above the "frumpery" peddled by countless copycat boutiques.

Even if you're willing to shell out for an Hermès Kelly bag, how can anyone expect you to survive the waitlist? Milan Station resells the "it" bags of yesterday that have been retrieved from Hong Kong's fickle fashionistas. Inexplicably, the shop entrances (there are more than half a dozen here) were designed to look like MTR stations. The concept has been so successful, unimaginatively named copycats have sprung up, such as Paris Station. Discounts vary according to brand and trends, but the merchandise is in good condition.

Not to be confused with the neighboring Miramar Shopping Centre, this mall targets Hong Kong's young elite and has offerings like agnès b. and Coach.

Connected to the Grand Hyatt, this high-end shopping mall houses a long list of luxury brands, including Cartier, Prada, Louis Vuitton, Armani, and Burberry. Should you need a break, the pleasant outdoor plaza is home to a smattering of popular cafés and bars.

Don't be deterred by the somewhat dated mannequins in the windows. Mode Elegante is a favorite source for custom-made suits among women and men in the know. Tailors here specialize in European cuts. You'll have your choice of fabrics from the United Kingdom, Italy, and elsewhere. Your records are put on file so you can place orders from abroad. It'll even ship the completed garment to you almost anywhere on the planet. Alternatively, you can make an appointment with director Gary Zee, one of Hong Kong's traveling tailors, who makes regular visits to North America, Australia, Europe, and Japan.

As if running a magazine, website, and radio station weren’t enough, Monocle also has a handful of retail outlets, and Hong Kong devotees of the London-based media brand rejoiced when its store-cum-office opened on Star Street's St. Francis Yard in 2010. Whether shopping for excellent reading material or stylish accessories (picture trendy totes, linen-bound notebooks, greeting cards, and embossed card cases), you'll be in good company.

This midrange Japanese brand arrived in town in 2006. The tight-fitting tees and vintage-wash jeans are a big hit among young local women who are going for the rock-star look.

One of the top children's clothing stalls in Stanley Market sells everything from play-date clothes to Christmas Day bests. Push your way through the piles and hanging examples of tasteful, brand-name pieces for babies, boys, and girls. Come here first, then do some comparison shopping before pulling out your wallet.

Those familiar with this Japanese brand are often delighted to find one of its stores, and Hong Kong now has more than a dozen branches. The full name is Mujirishi Ryohin (meaning "no-brand quality goods"), which only partly describes the sleek minimalism of everything from household items and stationery to clothing and simply packaged snacks.

Nothing says modern China quite like this gigantic superstructure currently holding the "biggest free-standing building in the world" title. China is no stranger to superlatives and this stands as a reminder by the government of just how economically powerful China, and particularly Chengdu, has become. One can shop, sleep, swim, and ice skate without leaving. The Paradise Island Water Park even provides artificial sunlight. The massive structure designed by a British-Iraqi architect has also become a huge embarrassment to the Communist Party due to reminders of the widespread corruption, as the billionaire financier was convicted of embezzlement and since vanished.

A popular shopping destination for locals, this department store offers a good mix of shops selling household goods, clothing, jewelry, sports equipment, gadgets, and beauty products. It also has an extensive food court, a well-stocked supermarket, and a large bakery.

Some of the items at Nlostnfound could use a bath, but the clutter has a lot of character. Take the time to browse through the jumble of old-world trinkets—1940s clocks, Shanghai lamps, 20s-era luggage trunks, antique furniture, colorful wind-up walking toys, typewriters, and postcards—and you'll likely unearth something worth salvaging.

Irish expat Olive Forrest has cleverly retained original elements of the former print shop that houses her bright-red store. With a unique sense of style, she brings together Chinese and Tibetan antiques, modern lighting designed in-house, home accessories, high-quality bed linens for children and adults, and a line of colorful contemporary furniture.

The surroundings are functional, but the gowns, wedding dresses, and cheongsams by local designer Olivia Yip are lavish. With a growing clientele—including socialites looking to stand out—Yip is quietly making a name for herself and her Parisian-influenced pieces.

This store's brand directory reads like a fashion editor's wish list of world-famous shoe, bag, accessory, and jewelry designers. The main branch can be found in Central's Joyce boutique, but you might see the same brands at Lane Crawford—that's because they're sister companies. For the same aesthetics at lower prices, check out trendy younger sibling Pedder Red at the Gateway Arcade in Harbour City.

This atmospheric, high-ceiling showroom feels like a cross between a shop and an art gallery. Designed by an in-house team, the home furnishings and accessories here are smart and rarely fussy. Beautiful, unvarnished blocks of wood, for example, are proposed as side tables. The store also carries a more European mix of in-house and international contemporary designs from brands like Tom Dixon, Fritz Hansen, and Andreu World.

Quieter and more exclusive than most competitors, this marble-clad mall is popular with well-to-do residents. High-end fashions, a Lane Crawford department store, and several excellent restaurants share the floor space, while some of Hong Kong's swankiest hotels cluster around it, including JW Marriott, the Island Shangri-La, Conrad, and the Upper House.

High-end international prêt-à-porter fills most of its four floors. When your bags are weighing you down, sandwiches, sushi, and Starbucks are on hand, as is a multiplex cinema. The JW Marriott, the Island Shangri-La, the Conrad, and the Upper House hotels are connected to this plaza, all with enticing afternoon tea options. Elevated walkways join Pacific Place with four arcades: the Admiralty Centre, United Centre, Queensway Plaza, and fashion-forward Lab Concept.

Spread over two floors, this newest addition to the popular Page One chain is huge, and when it opened, was open 24 hours a day. Soon, however, the realities of such an epic endeavor hit home (it's located on Bar Street), and normal business hours now apply. As the most comprehensive English language bookstore in the city, there's a little bit of everything here. The second floor has a large area dedicated to arty stationery, gadgets, and funky knickknacks, along with a large selection of children's titles and magazines in English. What isn't here? Many places to sit, so take your seat on a step on the wide staircase, along with the rest of the booklovers.

Every day the sun rises over thousands of pilgrims rummaging in search of antiques and curios, though you'll find the biggest numbers of buyers and sellers (all told, there are about 1,000 of them) turn up on weekends. It's a sure bet that not every jade bracelet, oracle bone, porcelain vase, and ancient screen sold here is authentic, but most shoppers come for the reproductions anyway. Behold the bounty: watercolors, scrolls, calligraphy, Buddhist statues, opera costumes, old Russian SLR cameras, curio cabinets, Tibetan jewelry, tiny satin lotus-flower shoes, rotary telephones, jade dragons, antique mirrors, and infinite displays of "Maomorabilia." If you're buying jade, first observe the Chinese customers, how they hold a flashlight to the milky-green stone to test its authenticity. As with all Chinese markets, bargain with a vengeance, as many vendors inflate their prices astronomically for waiguoren ("outside-country people").

A strip of enclosed stores forms a perimeter around the surprisingly orderly rows of open-air stalls. Check out photographer Xuesong Kang and his Da Kang store (No. 63--B) for some fascinating black-and-white snaps of Beijing city life, dating from the start of the 20th century up to the present day. Also be sure to stop by the Bei Zhong Bao Pearl Shop (甲-007) for medium-quality freshwater pearls cultivated by the Hu family. Also here are a sculpture zoo, a book bazaar, reproduction-furniture shops, and an area stashing propaganda posters and Communist literature. Stalls start packing up around 4:30 pm, so make sure to get there on the early side.

Scattered in and around this giant, green pyramid-shaped "biodome" is a boutique hotel, a mall that doubles as a walk-through gallery, and one of the largest private collection of Salvador Dalí works on display outside Spain. For shoppers, stores by designers Stella McCartney and Mulberry rub shoulders with the likes of the GAP; meanwhile a branch of the world-famous Taiwanese dumpling-slingers Din Tai Fung is always worth a visit. Even if designer knickknacks aren't your thing, stopping by just to gawk at the sheer grandiosity of it all comes highly recommended.

Hong Kong's tai-tais bring their couture here for adjustments, as evidenced by the Chanel, Escada, and Versace bags hanging overhead in the little workshop buzzing with the sound of sewing machines. Although primarily known for alterations, it also offers tailoring services for women.