Beijing is a great city for shopping with its tens of thousands of state-of-art malls for residents and tourists alike. But one street in particular is right next to some of Beijing’s most famous hotels, and it keeps the style of the old.
Suppose you want to shop somewhere with a little history, somewhere where you can get lost in antiques and traditional Chinese art forms. Beijing’s Liulichang Street enjoys a history that goes back to the early Ming dynasty in the 1500s, and there’s no shortage of artisans around here.
Since several hundred years ago, the street has been one of Beijing’s most trodden places for shopping. Today people tread this very street for unique Chinese gifts, including antiques, brush paintings, calligraphies, tea sets, shadow puppets, old books, and a variety of ethnic items.
For unique Chinese gifts to bring back, this is just the place for you!
Here are some of the shops:
Pin Hu Tang – A Good Cup of Tea Made Easy
This quaint shop at the west end of Liulichang Street is where big-time tea lovers go for authentic Yixing purple clay teapots. It’s not far from the Haige International Hotel.
Yixing teapots are said to be able to improve your tea by allowing tea aromas to build up right in the walls of the pot. The key is the special purple clay they use for the pots: the clay is micro porous and absorbent.
The clay is found only in Yixing, and the shop offers a nice collection of purple clay teapots from their own kiln. The owner himself is an accomplished Yixing teapot maker.
Most of their teapots have designs that are one of a kind. There are shapes mimicking pumpkins, gourds, stumps, and castles, just to name a few. And you will find skillful engravings on these teapots: a scene showing harmony between man and nature, a quotation from an ancient love poem, or an auspicious animal mounting the lid to entertain your eyes…
These really are things you won’t find in your back home! No wonder numerous foreign visitors were happy to spend their dollars on the products.
Gu Miao Hua Yuan –- Pristine Beauty of Flowers Live On Your Walls
This interesting little shop is tucked away in a 600-year-old building and offers exceptional Chinese flower paintings that have found their way into the homes of many Beijingers. It is just a short cab ride from Hwa Apratment Hotel.
There are paintings of plums, orchids, chrysanthemum flowers, and bamboo; all are the skillful work of our master – Mr. Xie.
Mr. Xie is the shop owner. Despite he paints on all flowers, what he is best at is still peony, the flower that fascinates him the most. To create peonies that are true to nature, he’s spent over a decade observing the flower.
That is an achievement few can accomplish, indeed!
Upon your request, Mr. Xie makes both frame and scroll works with the latter being easier to carry.
Qing Ci Lan Ting – A Lovely Touch To Your Home
This interesting little shop with an old-fashioned façade carries a large collection of celadon products made in Longquan, a southern Chinese town knows as the hometown of celadon.
In the shop you will find a nice selection of celadon products with designs that are seldom seen outside of China. For instance, a bowl bears engraving of a special type of fish that are unique to a small river in Longquan. Another teapot is crafted into the shape of river snail. It looks so real that you wouldn’t recognize it as a teapot at first glance!
In fact, there is a little something for each and every home: a hat-style vase that is nice for holding roses, a pumpkin-shaped jar for placing CDs, and a lotus leaf platter for holding dishes, and so on.
Cracks are found on some products. This is the fine work of potters using an ancient celadon-making technique. The body continues to crack after a celadon is done, but stands as one thanks to the glaze. The cracks only contributes to the elegance of the item.
The shop also provides free tea to visitors who might get thirsty from a day of shopping. The manager is a young lady. She knows celadon quite well, and is quite generous to share her knowledge with visitors.