Shopping in Guilin
Known internationally for its river and mountain scenery, mysterious caves and grotesque rocks, Guilin has enjoyed the reputation of having the country's most beautiful scenery for hundreds of years. Like all of China's major cities, Guilin is a shopper's paradise. Shoppers in this city can purchase anything from tea and clothing, to local arts and crafts. And its world famous shopping places are loved by foreign guests.
Special Local Productions
Guilin means “Forrest of Osmanthus”. There are many of products made from or associated with Osmanthus. When ever in the osmanthus blossomy seasons, the entire city will full of sweet-scent osmanthus. It will make people sportful. Besides the osmanthus products there other famous products: Shatian Grapefruit, candies, Chufa, Sanhua Rice Wine, Wutong Sugarcane, art porcelain, bullion ornaments, metal technics, bamboo and wood carving, etc.
- Guihua Cha (Sweet Osmanthus Flower Tea): Guihua in Guilin can be divided into four sorts: Jingui (Osmamthus fragrans var. thunbergii), Yingui (Osmanthus fragrans var. latifolius), Dangui (Osmanthus fragrans var. aurantiacus) and Sijigui (Osmanthus fragrans var. semperflorens). Sweet osmanthus flower is a traditional precious fragrant flower and its play important role in city virescence and beautification. And it can make into all kinds of sweetmeat after confection. Guihua Tea is very famous in country. The best materials for Guihua Tea are Jingui and Yingui, and Jingui is better than Yingui. Those sweet onsmanthus flowers after filtration will be mixed with refined artifactitious green tea embryo. Then by parch and last process with fresh flower, the Guihua Tea is made up.
- Sanhuajiu: Guilin people are pride of Sanhuajiu (Sanhua Wine). Guilin Sanhuajiu is very famous in China. It is the typical representation of Chinese savory rice wine and is reputed as “the King of Wine”. The brewage of Sanhuajiu (wine) can be traced to Song Dynasty. The vintage workshops of Sanhua Wine turned up in Qing Dynasty and workshops were extended all over Guilin during the period from year 1912 to 1949. Why it is named Sanhuajiu which literarily means wine of three flowers. One of the sayings is said that good wine after stirring will bring glittering wine froth like flowers, so that is the why it is called Sanhuajiu in Chinese. The quality of this wine is great! There are three reasons for its high quality. The water is the limpidity water from the Li River, the rice is chose from high grade rice and the reserve condition is the particular Guilin climate which is warm in winter and cool in summer. There are “Three Treasures” in Guilin, and Sanhua wine is right one of the treasures. Bringing some Sanhua Wine home as a gift to friends is a nice thing.
- Nan Tang (Southern Candy): Nantang is a general designation of Guilin special candies. All the Guilin Crisp Candy, Guihua Cun Jin Tang (a kind of osmanthus flower candy), Guihua Zhi Ma Pian (sliced candies made by sesame and osmanthus flower), Huasheng Su (crisp peanut candy), peanut brittle are called by a joint name of Nan Tang. Nan Tang is the traditional special purchases for Spring Festival and the fine snacks for entertaining guests. With main materials of peanut, sesame and white sugar Nan Tang has the taste of sweet, soft, crisp and savory. Guilin Crisp Candy is the titbit among Nantang candies. Guihua Cun Jin Tang is a outstanding product among Nan Tang candies. Other three candies boasting different and unique flavor are impressive products too.
Main Shopping Places in Guilin
Guilin is a well-rounded tour city, shopping in Guilin is also a kind of touring. Not like fashion metropolis, Guilin shopping is not crazy digging, but a leisure enjoy, and also a money-saving visit. Although it is small, products from costly jewelry to cheap decorations, from unique featured specialties to inimitable local snacks, are collectable.
- Yangshuo Xi Jie (Yangshuo West Street): Yangshuo is a small exquisite town with only 7 square kilometers. It is the most beautiful town by the Li River Side and has a history of 2000 years. Only 60 kilometers south of Guilin downtown, Yangshuo can compare the beauty with Guilin. Yangshuo West Street right in the center of county is a poetry inhabitation place and is a spirit hankering avenue. It is in the “S” shape and only 517 meters long, 8 meters wide. There are more than 20 stores are with holders from abroad. Yangshuo Xi Jie is one of the places assembling most numbers of foreigners; it is so regarded as a “Globe Country” and world famous. Every people there can speak English and some can speak other languages too. This marble road holding ancient architectures is a full of local color. Arts and crafts can be found as your wishes in this street. There are many fantastic wares, paintings and calligraphies, art hand crafts, and traditional fineries of local minority. American former president Clinton has been to Yangshuo Xi Jie, and praised people”s life style.
There is a special clothing shop called “Xi Jie Wang Shi”. It is a store for unique style clothes with a beautiful Chinese name. Its clothes are different from those dresses sale in great shopping malls. A culture arts and handcrafts shop named “Yinxiang” is a special place too. It provides people string decorations on clothes, Chinese minority headgear, silk scarves, embroidery lady handbags, etc. Many local products stores are along this street. There are local specialties on sale such as Li Pu Yu, Ma Ti, Dried Persimmon, Chinese Chestnuts, Osmanthus Tea, Gingko, Luo Han Guo, Bamboo and wood carving, Paintings of Landscape, paper fan and paper umbrella. Gems can be found from crystal gpods to jade articles and pearls.
- Zheng Yang Lu Pedestrian Street (Walking Street): Zheng Yang Lu Pedestrian Street is the most hip and popular shopping district in Guilin. It is quite large and consists of several intersecting streets. The main entrance to Zheng Yang Lu Pedestrian Street is located near the Jie Fang Jiao bus-stop and this is where taxis drop off visitors. Zheng Yang Lu is a pedestrian street, which means that no vehicles are allowed on it making it a safe place to stroll and do a bit of window shopping. The street's many shops offer fashions, art, tea, local handicrafts, hair salons, bars, and nightclubs. There are also many restaurants and small snack stands that sell Guilin's famous local cuisine. It is the place to see and be seen in Guilin.
- Wa Yao Tour Products Wholesale Market: The Wa Yao Wholesale Market is much larger than the two pedestrian streets. It recently moved to its new location, which is made up of several 6 storey buildings. It is very clean, and convenient. Wa Yao is where individual shoppers and buyers from other shops go for their needs. This market is so large that it would take several days to see everything. Wa Yao has something for everybody. It sells everything from clothing and house wares, to antiques and art. The Wa Yao Tour Products Shopping District is organized into categorized sections, so finding things is fairly easy. It does not have name brand items, but what it does have is quite affordable. It is a bargainer's paradise. The first price quoted is usually far higher than the shop keeper would accept. Usually the more items you purchase, the lower the price accepted becomes. The general rule is to offer less than half of the quoted price and work up from there. Since the market is organized into many sections it is easy to shop for prices. It is always a good idea to shop around to make sure that you get the best prices.
Apart from these three main markets, you can find many specialized shops as well:
- Painted Fans Street (Hua Shan Jie): Fans Street is located in the Fuli Town, an old town of Yangshuo and with a history of 1000 years. It was said Fuli Town was covered by litchis and it is so called “Fu Li” in Chinese. This old town is famous for the paper fans with pictures. There is a fan street at the pier about 100 meters long. All the fans here are made by skillful craftsman who are good at both drawing and fan manufacture. Poems paintings and calligraphies are printed in the fans full of cultural color. Materials of fans are from local place, such as the frameworks are made from bamboo in river side; fan surface are made by native paper; pictures in fans are Guilin landscapes, Yangshuo views, local animals and plants. These poetic fans are now popular all over country and even spreaded to the world.
- Night Market: Guilin has a night market which is located on Zhong Shan Zhong Lu. It is very long and goes from the Wei Xiao Tang Shopping Mall (Nico Nico Do) to the Guilin Department Store. At 7:00 every evening, the street is blocked off to make room for the market. It has a great atmosphere and is a great place to pick up souvenirs. This market offers special local handicrafts and souvenirs. It is important to bargain. Prices are not set in stone and quoted prices will be much higher than what the stall owner will accept.