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What To Buy in Guilin?

Shopping is always an exciting part of a Guilin tour. Shopping in Guilin is a little different compared with in big Chinese cities. There are something unique in this beautiful region and worthwhile to bring home as souvenirs.

South Sea Pearls
The South Sea Pearls in China have been well known all around the world for their fine quality and long-lasting luster. Hepu in Guangxi province produces the finest South Sea Pearls in China. Located in the North Guangxi province close to Hepu, Guilin is an ideal place to buy South Sea Pearls if you are not visiting Hepu.

Chinese Landscape Ink Paintings
Famed as the “most scenic place under Heaven”, Guilin’s landscape has been the subject of Chinese artists for thousands of years. In order to capture inspirations and get close to the natural beauty, many ink painting artists and institutions have settled down in Guilin. This makes Guilin an excellent place to buy fine ink painting works at inexpensive prices.

Minority Handicrafts
Guilin is rich in minority cultures with 28 ethnic groups living in the area. These ethnic people are still producing their traditional costumes’ and handicrafts in the old fashion way. Among them, costumes and headdress of Zhang and Yao ethnic groups are most attractive. Real handmade minority handicrafts are expensive however they are truly valuable souvenirs to bring home.

Guilin Local Specialties
The most famous local specialties in Guilin include Dry Sweet Osmanthus Flowers, Sugar Sweet Osmanthus, Dried Longan, Luo-Han-Guo Fruit. They are nutritious and healthy. Locals often use them as sweetener in cooking, or to make healthy drink or desserts.

The most famous local fruit is Sha-Tian Grapefruit. It is kind of big fruit with soft, thick, and rough yellow skin matured during autumn. Its meat taste sweet with special fragrance.

Where to Go Shopping in Guilin?

Shoppers in Guilin can purchase anything from tea and clothing. There three major shopping districts in Guilin City: Zhong Shan Road and Zheng Yang Pedestrian Street (Walking Street) located in the city’s center, and Wa Yao Wholesale Shopping District in south Guilin. West Street in Yangshuo County offers some unique items that cannot be found anywhere else in the world.

Zhong Shan Road
Zhong Shan Road is the longest commercial street in Guilin City with many big department stores in the street, as well as many boutique stores including some famous brands.

• NiKo-NiKo-Do Plaza (微笑堂)
  Address: 37 Zhongshan Middle Road
  Business Hours: 9:00 am – 10:00 pm, Monday – Sunday
  Price Negotiable: No
  Niko-Niko-Do Plaza is one of the best shopping malls, and may be the most popular one in Guilin. If you are looking for quality clothing, shoes, electronics, and cosmetics, it is a right place to go. There are some fine restaurants on the top floor and a KFC outlet on the ground floor facing the main street. Niko-Niko-Do Plaza has an under group food supermarket, where you can purchase local specialties.
• Dream Island Department Store (梦之岛百货)
  Address: 20 Zhongshan Middle Road
  Business Hours: 9:00 am – 10:00 pm, Monday – Sunday
  Price Negotiable: No
  Similar to Niko-Niko-Do Plaza, Dream Island Department Store is another place to go for quality brand goods. There is also a KFC outlet on the ground floor facing the main street.
• Bā Guì Dà Shà (Osmanthus Shopping Plaza八桂大厦)

Address: 47 Zhongshan Middle Road
Business Hours: 9:00 am – 9:30 pm, Monday – Sunday
Price Negotiable: Yes
There are many clothing and shoe stores in this shopping plaza, where you can bargain the prices. The prices in most stores are inexpensive, and the quality is reasonable. You could either get deals or ripped off when shopping in here, so also ways remember to bargain.

• Night Market (夜市)
  Address: a section of Zhongshan Middle Road between NiKo-NiKo-Do Plaza and Dream Island Department Store

Business Hours: after 7:00 pm, Monday – Sunday
Price Negotiable: Yes
Each evening from 7:00 pm until midnight, started from NiKo-NiKo-Do Plaza and ended at Dream Island Department Store, half of the main street of Guilin ( Zhong Shan Rd ) is closed and it becomes a bustling night market. Stalls here mostly sell souvenirs and knick-knacks from all parts of China and they sell mostly the same kind of goods too. Shopping at the street-side stalls are fun, but be sure to bargain.

Zheng Yang Pedestrian Street (Walking Street)
Zhang Yang Pedestrian Street locates in downtown Guilin paralleled the Zhong Shan Road. The main entrance to Zheng Yang Pedestrian Street is opposite to the entrance of the ancient Ming Dynasty princes’ palace.

This walking street is Guilin’s most hip and popular shopping district that consists of many fashion boutiques, bars, nightclubs, high-end hair salons, and restaurants. No vehicles are allowed to enter the streets. It is the best place in Guilin to find fashion clothing and places to hang out. It is where to see and be seen in Guilin.

Wa Yao Tour Products Wholesale Market – bargainer’s paradise
The Wa Yao Wholesale Market is made up of several 6 storey buildings. Wa Yao is where individual shoppers and buyers from other shops go for their needs. This market 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. As it is mainly a wholesale market, you can get lower prices in here than the normal retailing prices. Be aware, if you are looking for high quality brands, this is not the right place to go. But this is an excellent place to collect local crafts.

Shopping at West Street in Yangshuo
The West Street in Yangshuo is well-known for its unique cultural ambience. It is also a nice shopping location for unique cultural stuffs. Big fans, really big to catch your eyes, Yangshuo Big Fans are great for decorations. The painted fan undergoes a series of processes including dyeing, mounting and painting with lacquer or water color paint before it is ready for retail. You can always find the backdrops of the fans are depicting birds, bamboos, flowers, insects and traditional, beautiful Chinese girls. West Street is also a place to find quality minority costumes and handicrafts. These are great souvenirs to bring home. Items soled in west street are negotiable, be sure to bargain.

Introduction of the West Street:

The West Street is also called “foreigner’s street“. It locates at Yangshuo, which belongs to Guilin. It is the street which holds the most foreigners in China.

The West Street is shaped like an “S”. It has a history of more than 1400 years. It is full of ancient architectures. Although this street is less than 1000 meters, it shows an international sentiment. There are a lot of restaurants, hotels, bars, and all kinds of shops sell souvenirs and articles.

West Street glance

West Street glance

The Reason Why the West Street is Called “Global Village”:

The architectural style combines the strengths of the east and the west. No matter old and young, man or woman, waiters or sellers, all the people in the West Street can speak fluent English.

At every corner of this street, you may see people of different colors and races drinking beer, tasting coffee, or chatting leisurely. It shows a dense exotic atmosphere. It is no wonder that the West Street is considered to be the “Global Village“.

Yangshuo Specialties:

Visiting the West Street can bring you an unforgettable experience. The Western restaurants are run by foreigners. They sell Western-style food, such as Pizza, steak, and Italian coffee, etc. The Yangshuo locals like rice noodles and Yangshuo Beer Fish. As times goes, the food culture combines perfectly.

West Street at night

West Street in Spring

Yangshuo Activities:

Besides, there are other communications between them. For example, Chinese people teach foreigners Tai Chi, chess, calligraphy, and foreigners teach Chinese people English. They get on harmoniously. Other activities are also popular, such as rock climbing, and cooking classes, etc.

Sit in a bar in the West Street to enjoy the leisure time, and you may understand why those foreigners are not easily parted from here. They married a local girl or boy, and enjoy the real life here!

West Street nearby

West Street Shop

As night falls, Guilin night market opens to the tourists. The market is along the Zhongshan Road where is the culture and business center of Guilin. You can enjoy leisure and shopping there. Guilin night market shopping is really relaxing. There are various kinds of handicrafts, local specialties and snacks available from 19:00 to 23:00.

Wandering up and down between the stalls of the night market, facing various things that appeal for you, which things to buy in guilin? There are some souvenirs worth of your attention:

Embroidered ball is an ethnic souvenir you shouldn’t miss. It is Bright-coloured, and full of ethnic characteristics. Throwing embroidered ball is a traditional game of the Zhuangs in Guangxi Autonomous Region, It also became a media to express the love between the youth of the Zhuangs.

Chinese seal is another main souvenir in the night market. You can get one with your own Chinese name on it. After return home, you can save it on your desktop and use it to stamp your name on the greeting cards or book cover and so on.

When you are interested in something and ask for the price, maybe you will be shocked by the stall owner’s quotation. But please take it easy, after your bargain, usually you can get the indeed cheap and fine goods.

Sometimes the delicious smell from the food stalls that will arouse your appetite. You can go to a stall to get a little pickled vegetable, it is sour and sweet, stimulate your appetite. You also can taste Guilin rice noodles which is for Guilin local breakfast, it is a special snack of Guilin, taste delicious.

Strolling in the pedestrian street, you also can enjoying the cool breeze that comes from the Rong lake and Shan lake. The fantastic lights which from The Sun-Moon Pagodas illuminating the night market quietly.
What a lovely evening you will have!