China has a wonderful variety of raw materials due to its vast territory and
 various climates. The tumultuous history of Chinese civilization has left
 behind a rich cultural heritage, which can be found in traditional arts and
 crafts. Shopping is a major activity for tourists who come to China. High up
 on their shopping lists are silk products, embroidery, Chinese calligraphy
 and paintings, Chinese medicine, cloisonne enamel, ceramics, carvings, woven
 arts and crafts, lacquer ware, Chinese fans, the four treasures of the
 study, tea, liquor, folk arts and crafts, and local products.
 
 1.Silk. China is known as the home of Silk. Silkworms are raised in many
 places, such as Jiangsu, Guangdong, Hunan, and Sichuan. Hangzhou is the most
 famous city in China for silk products in great variety, including silk,
 satin, damask, and brocades.
 
 2.Embroidery. The four most famous types of embroidery in China are
 embroideries from Jiangsu, Hunan, Guangdong, and Sichuan provinces. The most
 famous styles of brocade are yunjin from Nanjing, songjin from Suzhou, and shujin
 from Sichuan. There are other well known styles of brocade made by minority peoples,
 such as Zhuang, Dai Li, Dong, and Tujia.
 
 3.Chinese calligraphy and paintings. Chinese calligraphy and paintings form
 a cross-section of the traditional Chinese culture. High-grade calligraphy and
 paintings are the best souvenirs for foreign travelers. Most works are done on
 a kind of paper known as xuan. There are also other forms of art, such as shell
 paintings from Dalian, Qingdao, Beihai, Guangdong, and Fujian; bark paste-ups from
 Jilin; soft-wood paintings from Fuzhou; paintings on bamboo curtains from Sichuan; straw
 patchwork from Guangdong and Heilongjiang and feather paste-ups from
 Shenyang and Shandong.
 
 4.Ceramics. Ceramics is one of the many traditional Chinese handicrafts. The
 best pottery-making sites in China are Yixing in Jiangsu Province, Shiwan in
 Guangdong Province, and Luoyang in Henan Province. Luoyang's tri-colored
 glazed pottery is world famous. It uses red, green and white colors to
 imitate the tri-colored glazed pottery popular in the Tang Dynasty. Yixing
 mainly produces pottery for daily use. Pottery from Shiwan is simple and
 unsophisticated, often used to make containers in the shape of human
 figures.
 
 Other famous products include porcelain from Jingdezhen in Jiangxi Province,
 Longquan porcelain from Zhejiang Province, jun and ru porcelain from Henan, and porcelain from
 Tangshan and Xuanhua in Hebei Province. Jingdezhen is known as the Capital of Ceramics.
 
 5.Traditional Chinese medicine. Traditional Chinese medicine is famous for
 its large variety and amazing effectiveness. The most popular Chinese medicinal herbs are ginseng,
 saussurea involucrata, Chinese caterpillar fungus, matrimony vine, licorice, root of hairy asiabell, and
 fritillary bulb.
 
 6.Carvings. Many materials are used for carvings, such as jade, stone, wood,
 bamboo, ink slab, coal, crystal, willow branches, roots, and shells.
 
 7.Cloisonne enamel. Beijing is the main producer of cloisonne enamel.
 Popular during the reign of Emperor Jing Tai (1450-1457) of the Ming
 Dynasty, cloisonne enamelware includes vases, bowls, plates, desk lamps, and
 cups.

 8.Four treasures of the study. The four treasures of the study are the
 writing brush, ink, the ink slab, and paper. Regions famous for xuan paper,
 ink, brushes, and ink slabs are Jingxian County in Anhui Province, Shexian
 County in Anhui Province, Huzhou in Zhejiang Province, Zhaoqing in Guangdong
 Province, and Wuyuan in Jiangxi Province. The four treasures of the study
 make up one of the best souvenirs of traditional Chinese
 culture.
 
 9.Lacquer ware. Lacquer ware is a traditional Chinese handicraft. The
 regions best-known for producing lacquer ware in China are Beijing, Fuzhou,
 Yangzhou in Jiangsu Province, and various regions in Sichuan Province.
 
 10.Woven articles. Articles. Bamboo, rattan, palm fiber, and wheat straw are
 used as raw materials for woven articles. The most famous woven articles are
 woven bamboo ware from Nanjing, summer sleeping mats from Anhui and Hunan
 provinces, articles made of wheat stalks and plaited com husks, and articles
 of woven rattan, hemp and straw from Guangdong and Zhejiang provinces.
 
 11.Chinese fans. Chinese fans are popular tourist souvenirs for foreign
 friends. They come in a large variety and are of good quality. The most famous
 fan-producing regions are Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Sichuan, and Guangdong provinces.
   
 12.Tea. China was one of the first countries to grow and process tea, and
 Chinese tea is famous around the world. Chinese tea can be divided into black tea,
 green tea, scented tea, and Oolong. The famous brands are longjing from Hangzhou,
 biluochun from Dongting Lake, tunlu and qihong from Anhui, maofeng from Mt. Huangshan,
 yihong from Hubei, jasmine from Beijing, and tieguanyin from Fujian.
 
 13.Liquor, china was one of the first countries to brew liquor and today has
 many kinds of liquor, such as white spirits, yellow-rice wine, millet wine,
 red wine, fruit wine, and beer. The most famous types of Chinese liquors are
 maotai, fenjiu, wuliangye, gujinggongjiu, yanghedaqu, jiannanchun, red wine,
 white wine, brandy dongjiu, specially made Beijing brandy, luzhoulaojiao
 tequ, shaoxing jiafan, zhuyeqing, Qingdao Beer, Yantai Red Wine, and
 chengangjiu.
 
 Other choices for souvenirs are blankets, rugs silk umbrellas, New Year's
 paintings papercuts, kites, traditional and ethnic clothes, and traditional
 toys. Famous local products include candied fruits from Beijing, raisins
 from Xinjiang, cashmere and camel hair products from inner Mongolia, caracul
 from Qinghai, sheepskin from Ningxia, and fur from Jilin.
 
 To help tourists buy what they want, many local travel agencies have
 accredited high-quality shopping centers or department stores as "fixed" or
 "reliable." All shopping centers or department stores recommended in this
 brochure have been approved by the appropriate government agencies. The
 tourist can also change money in medium and large-sized stores, which also
 offer other services such as mail-order, consignment, and customs
 applications for customers. These centers will offer the best services and
 goods at fair prices.