Stores, Malls or Markets in China

I was in Guangzhou last year and back from Guilin two weeks ago.

Guangzhou will have more to shop especially Shangxiajiu Road and nearby Renmin Road and most have price tag. Normally I haggled down 50% and if the items are price tagged they normally do not give you further discount unless you are buying a lot. I noticed in Shangxiajiu Road in Guangzhou things are cheaper than Beijing Lu of course Beijing Lu most of the clothes, bags are of better quality.

If you are going to Yangshuo, souvenirs are cheaper than Guilin. I saw bracelets in Yangshuo selling at RMB5 but there were selling at RMB10 at Guilin.If you are having your meals at restaurant in Yangshuo ladies that approach you selling souvenirs are even cheaper. Small handmade souvenirs costing RMB10 for 3 pieces at the stalls. When those ladies approach you if you are not keen to buy they even go down to RMB10 for 6 pieces, but the souvenirs they carry with them are limited.

If you have time in Guilin you can shop in Wa Yao wholesale, you do not have to buy in bulk. Take bus No. 11 from Zhongshan Road, bus fare is RMB1. Things are cheap in Wa Yao. You should be able to get down at the right bus stop cos they will announce the next stop. Get down at 'Wa Yao' keep walking to the direction when bus is heading, pass an agriculture bank, turn right. The signboard at the bus stop is easy to read. By taxi will RMB20 from Zhongshan Road. In Guangzhou they have many of these wholesale markets.

I met a tourist and she told me in Beijing she saw a nice scarf selling at RMB275 she walked away and they chased after her and selling the scarf for RMB85.

Be careful when making payments, make sure they change money right before your eyes especially RMB100 note. They will return you a RMB100 note and tell you it is fake even though you will in doubt whether it is yours.

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Li-Ning Sports shops deal in good quality sportswear, sports shoes and other sports accessories which are said to be manufactured in the People's Republic of China. The Company (Li-Ning Sports Co Ltd) is the largest sportswear producer in China.

Two shops dealing in Li-Ning sports apparels are located at Wangfujing Street in the heart of Beijing, i.e. one on the left side of the street and the other on the right. The shop as depicted in our photographs above has four levels of shopping spaces and is elegantly decorated and illuminated, well furnished with quality stocks and is never short of manpower.

What to buy: We bought several pairs of Li-Ning sweaters and t-shirts from the shop above. Li-Ning sports shoes are also highly recommended to be purchased from the shop.

What to pay: The prices of Li-Ning sports goods are fixed. Sweaters cost between 200.00 and 500.00 rmb and t-shirts between 100.00 and 300.00 rmb. In our opinion, they are good value for money.

Below is a link to a youtube video demonstrating how to bargain in China. It is a tongue in cheek demonstration. It starts off a little slow but shows some humor in bargining. I found this video on youtube, I'm not the one doing the bargining in the video.

What to pay: Tourist prices are very inflated in China. Many people believe they should offer1/2 the asking price in markets for souvenirs. Actually, you should not pay more then1/2 the asking price. Don't be afraid to offer a really low price like 10%. Then work up but NEVER pay more then 1/2 the asking price unless you really want it and can't control yourself . I often end up only paying about 25% of the asking price.

Keep it friendly and smile. I have found that saying "Yi Kuai" with a smile is a good ice breaker. They often laugh, not because they want a higher price, but because they are surprised you know a little Chinese and you are joking. "Yi Kuai" means 1 paper (1 rmb), or about 14 US cents. :)

Please rate this and my other tips when you find them interesting, useful or you like the pictures.

Najing Road (Nanjing Lu in Chinese) is the city of Shanghai's major thoroughfare with large modern shopping malls, old and new, traditional and specialty shops and upscale stores. It is one of the main shopping destinations in China and one of the busiest shopping streets in the world!

Nanjing Lu is sometime known as the Oriental Paris. It is home to approximately 600 shops and has become a world famous shoppers paradise which attracts not only the local and foreign tourists. It attracts also shoppers from all over the world!

Nanjing Road is located in the heart of the city of Shanghai between the Bund and Jing'an District. Nanjing Lu stretches for approximately six kilometers with the People's Square in the middle. Basically it has two sections, i.e. East Nanjing Road and West Nanjing Road. The main pedestrian street is located at East Nanjing Road. In addition to shops there are also lots of open-air bars and restaurants which line both sides of the street. Nanjing Road has been a commercial centre for several centuries. Its history dates back to the middle of the 19th century when it was known as Park Lane.

Nanjing Road has many neo-classical buildings as Shanghai was once colonised by the British. The streets are beautifully and brightly illuminated at night as depicted in our photographs above. Nanjing Road is a "must-visit" shopping destination when you are having your vacation in the city of Shanghai. Don't leave the city of Shanghai without visiting Nanjing Road!

What to buy: Clothings such as t-shirts with brandnames from upscale stores, sports wear such as Li Ning apparels, design watches and antiques can be recommended.

What to pay: Prices are highly competitive and vary from shops to shops.

There are three floors which sell pearls at the Hongqiao Market. The gesture of the two salesladies attracted me to go inside the shop (others ask passers-by to enter their shops immediately). They could not speak English well so I managed to look around their shop without getting asked every minute (ha!). And then the owner came. Ms. Hong Fei speaks very mildly and was not pushy at all. She did not mind if I was interested in buying resh water and sea water pearls although I mentioned that I would love to have a Tahitian one but my cash will not be enough for a small piece. She was very patient and even personalized my pieces at a good price (she made bargaining very enjoyable). And yes, I had a bottle of water for free and I left the shop with some pieces that included a beautiful Tahiti pearl pendant.

What to buy: At the Pearl Market, you will find pearls, jade, fake brand goods, luggage, clothes, electronics, etc. The Mingya Epoch Jewelry just sell pearls.

What to pay: Bargain, bargain, bargain hard!

Nanjing Road to Shanghai is what Wangfujing Street is to Beijing. It is the main shopping street of the city. It leads from the Bund to the People's Park. The part of the road near the Bund (Nanjing Road East) is open to traffic and has smaller shops. Further west the road becomes pedestrainised and home to the biggest department stores and shopping centres. There are a couple of western chains, such as McDonalds and KFC on the road near the People's Park.

Located in the Dongcheng District of Beijing (a couple of blocks east of the north side of Tianamen Square) is arguably the most famous shopping street in China. Most of the road is completely pedestrianised, with Oriental Plaza at one end and Sun Dong An Plaza at the other. There are many interesting shops and department stores to have a browse around. At night most of the stores close and are replaced by a kind of tourist night market.

In the south western corner of the street is a small area sometimes called "snack street." Here you can find some strange snacks such as deep fried insects and scorpions.

US dollars welcome in China but be sure to bargain

Two of the things I buy when I travel are stamps and coins. Vendors on the streets in Beijing are everywhere, yelling out, “One dollar, one dollar.” Be sure and bargain. A man approached me with a lovely collection of stamps. He started out at ten dollars. I eventually purchased the collection for $2.00.