China Travel Forum

[Shaow]

Does anyone have any ideas about what gifts to bring back from China by the way of tour? I'd like to bring back from nice quality gifts that are not easy to get in the US which are emblematic of China. Also, I need to travel light so I'd like to avoid carrying anything heavy or bulky.
I'll be going to Beijing, Guilin, and Yunnan province.
Thanks!

[kamal]

If you take tour to Yangshuo outside of Guilin, you will find things cheap.
Panjiayuan ('dirt market') in Beijing sells a huge variety of souveniers-- weekends only.
Hongshao market at the north end of the Temple of Heaven Park has cheap pearls.
You can get nice pillow cases, table runners and or placemats that look pretty cool are cheap and easy to carry. These are quite popular these days.
Silk and wool/pashima/cashmere scarves are popular and can have Chinese designs but I wouldn't count on them really being silk or cahmere.
Yunnan has interesting batik prints with minority scenes, but it seems these would need to be framed. I prefer scroll paintings since they can be hung as is--but they are kind of hard to transport.
There are lots of trinkets, but I'm not sure what people do with them--statues, bowls, vases, calligraphy sets, puppets, kites, and on and on. A lot of people buy little glass snuff bottles that are painted on the inside. They can be quite nice, although like most of thse things are completely useless.
In Yangshuo I bought a hand-carved wooden mold for making moon cakes. As a decorative item, it is one of my favorite and it only cost 1 yuan.
have a good tour

[lanny]

Nothing heavy or bulky...I guess that rules out terra cotta warriors...
These aren't "quality" gifts, but quite unique:
-Coca-Cola t-shirts in Chinese script
-McDonald's paraphanalia (like menus) in Chinese
-artistic little hand fans can be nice, dirt cheap and absolutely lightweight.
Avoid those rice paddy conical hats unless you absolutely must. They're a big pain because they're unwieldy and delicate. You'll be wearing them in the airport because they're liable to get crushed while handling everything else anywhere else...that includes the airplane....
I think you should better up to yourself

[Mahhy]

Check out the Beijing Friendship Store for ideas. They have a good selection of small items that are easy to carry. I bought a pack of silk coasters during my last trip to Hongkong, nicely packed and very light. I am sure you can find somthing similar in Beijing.
If you go to Dali in Yunnan province, there are some shops selling interesting T-shirts. Or you can buy moneybelts made from pieces of old embroidery. Unique and very colorful. Teenage girls can use the moneybelt as a cool jeans belt. I bought two when I was in Yunnan and I really like them.