Shopping & souvenirs in China
What is worth buying, what is a rip-off, and how to handle prices.
What everyone needs to know
- Fixed-price shops (department stores, supermarkets, branded stores) do not haggle.
- Markets and tourist streets expect negotiation; start around 40% of the first price.
- Tea, silk, jade and "antiques" are the four classic overpricing categories in tourist areas.
- Domestic e-commerce is excellent but requires a Chinese payment method and address.
The numbers
| Item | Typical value |
|---|---|
| Market haggling | Start at ≈40% of asking |
| Tea shop markup | Can be 10× the fair price |
| Department stores | Fixed price, no haggling |
| Tax refund | Available over ¥500 at participating stores |
Do it in this order
- Decide what you actually want before you enter a market — tourist areas sell the same goods everywhere.
- Ask the price, then offer around 40% and be willing to walk away.
- Buy tea and silk from named shops with fixed prices rather than from touts.
- Ask for the tax-refund form if you spend over ¥500 at a participating store.
Mistakes to avoid
- Accepting the first price in a tourist market.
- Buying "antique" jade or ceramics that are obviously modern production.
- Following a tout to a "special" shop — this is the standard tea-scam funnel.
Sources
Shopping & souvenirs city by city
- Beijing
- Shanghai
- Xi'an
- Chengdu
- Chongqing
- Guilin
- Zhangjiajie
- Hangzhou
- Guangzhou
- Shenzhen
- Harbin
- Sanya
- Lijiang
- Kunming
- Suzhou
- Xiamen
- Zhengzhou
- Taiyuan
- Guiyang
- Fuzhou
- Yiwu
- Tianjin
- Nanjing
- Wuhan
- Changsha
- Qingdao
- Jinan
- Shenyang
- Dalian
- Changchun
- Hohhot
- Urumqi
- Lhasa
- Xining
- Lanzhou
- Yinchuan
- Dunhuang
- Luoyang
- Kaifeng
- Datong
- Pingyao
- Qufu
- Tai'an
- Huangshan
- Hefei
- Nanchang
- Wenzhou
- Ningbo
- Wuxi
- Yangzhou
- Shaoxing
- Zhuhai
- Foshan
- Dongguan
- Haikou
- Nanning
- Yangshuo
- Dali
- Shangri-La
- Xishuangbanna