Shopping In Hangzhou

Since ancient times, Hangzhou has been reputed for its production of silk and tea for trade. Here, visitors can find Longjing tea or Dragonwell tea, which is considered one of the best in China, exquisite silk brocades, as well as unique handicrafts and art pieces. Shopping in Hangzhou ranges from a traditional to a modern experience and there are several major shopping areas spread all over the city.
Downtown/Yan'an Road/Night Market
Location: Next to the Qinghefang Street in south.
What to buy: International brand goods
Here you can find Mao memorabilia, jewelery, paper fans, pipes, luggage, handicrafts and other items that most Chinese cities have. Pirated DVDs and counterfeit handbags are for sale as well. You can also find a lot of those silk-screen printed paintings/embroidery things that the silk market also has. Bargain very hard - Many stalls sell the same stuff, so be prepared to walk away. Be careful buying "antiques" because they are probably new, and pearls. Often the pearl culturing process has been very short, and in fact the "pearl" is a plastic marble with only the thinnest of cultured skin.

Downtown/Xinhua Road/Silk City
Location: Xinhua Road, Xiacheng District
Hangzhou silk has a long history as more than 4,000 years, featuring gentle texture, gorgeous colors and wide varieties. The silk produced in Hangzhou has 14 varieties, including satin, spin, crepe, damask silk and silk fabric. The silk products include landscape painting, cushions for leaning on, curtain and clothing.
This collection of 600 merchants is the best place to shop for silk textiles in Hangzhou. Whether buying yards of silk or delicate garments, this is the place for it. This is also a popular wholesale market for exporters.



Downtown/Wulin Square/Hangzhou Tower Shopping Center
Location:In the north end of Yan'an Road
As a department store focusing on luxuries, a lot of top brands such as Cartier, LV, Christine Dior, Burberry, Chanel and Hugo Boss were brought in successively. With the highest turnover it has been the first to introduce the most number of brands at a top update speed among department stores in China.


Downtown/Wushan Square/Bird and flower market
Location: Eastside of Wushan Square
There are many marketplaces like this in Hangzhou, but this one is the best. It is a multi-story facility with row after row of shops selling fresh-cut flowers and a menagerie of pets and small farm animals. Portions of this market specialize in medicinal herbs.


Downtown/Hanghai Road/Sijiqing clothing market
Location: Jianggan District
Sijiqing Clothing Market is a shopping paradise for retailers in Hangzhou and also an important meeting place for clothing exporters . At the market, you can buy any thing that catches your fancy in a quite low price. However, it is too crowded everywhere.


Hangzhou shopping tips
Be advised that ‘antique' items are likely to be fakes, no matter how convincing they look. True antiques must meet certain requirements to be exported, and any authentic antique dealer will have the proper paperwork in order. Fake pearls are equally common. Either of these is best treated cautiously, purchased strictly for its appearance rather than any assumed value.