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Bargaining

To buy an item in a hotel shop or on the free market, you'd better check prices first at state-operated stores. In the free market, you should be stubborn and persistent when bargaining, but keep smiling. Walk away if you find the price unacceptable. In Beijing, the starting price is generally 30 to 50 percent higher than the final agreed price. Remember to look for missing buttons, stains and other flaws of the goods on offer.

Import and Export

Beware of fakes when buying antiques. Chinese government bans the export of antiques that date from before 1795. You can only buy those carrying a small red seal or having one affixed by the Cultural Relics Bureau. Otherwise, those without a seal will be confiscated without compensation.

Import and export of foreign currency are allowed. To export more foreign currency than you imported, you need a special permit. You are not allowed to export or buy in the first place objects made from wild animals, especially from ivory. When leaving the country, these objects will be confiscated without compensation.

What to Buy

You'd better buy in Hong Kong, for goods there such as silk, jade and porcelain are still cheaper and of a better quality than elsewhere in China. You may find excellent silk articles in Hangzhou, the center of silk production. In the "Friendship Stores" and in the hotel shops, good quality goods, which are produced for export, are available.

Check the official red seal of the shop on the product when buying antiques, otherwise you are not permitted to buy or export the antiques. In the smaller towns or in the places where ethnic minorities live, craft objects for everyday use and specially worked or embroidered garments can be found and bought with a lower price.

Where to Buy

1. Department Stores:
Products for everyday use from toothpaste to a bicycle can all be found in these state-owned institutions. However, many small privately owned shops and street stalls have sprung up as well, where you will often find higher-quality clothing.

2. Friendship Stores:
It is essential to visit the Friendship Store for all tour groups. These stores usually offer a good selection of wares for export: silk fabric, craft articles, electronic devices, clothing and books. Traditional and modern medical products and equipment can also be found here. It is especially worthwhile to visit the food department of the Friendship Store in Beijing, the antiques department in the Friendship Store in Shanghai and the Friendship Store in Xi'an.

Some large Friendship Stores offer the service of delivery that will send purchases to one's home country.

3. Markets:
Fruit, vegetables, fish and meat are sold at markets. Prices are more flexible in the free markets. Items such as wicker baskets, metal and iron bits, and clothes are also available; tailors are sometimes found. In the big towns, many street traders sell jeans and silk blouses from Hong Kong.


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