8 Souvenirs to Bring Back From Your China Holiday

China is a huge country with many different cities, each of which is famous for different items. After your China holiday is over, your family, friends, and colleagues will most likely be expecting you to come home with treasures from your trip. Here are some items to buy in China that would make delightful gifts and souvenirs for even the pickiest person on your gift list.

1. Silk: Chinese silk is well known across the globe for its colour, quality, and variety. You can get particularly good silk products from Suzhou, Sichuan, Dandong, and Hangzhou.

2. Tea: Tea drinking is an ancient practice in China. The Chinese drink tea during meals and at different times of the day for good health. There are hundreds of varieties to choose from, though there are five key categories: black tea, green tea, scented tea, brick tea, and oolong tea. For a souvenir, you may consider taking home one of the most famous Chinese teas, including:

• Maofeng or Fur Peak from Mt. Huangshan in Anhui
• Maojian or Fur Tip from Xinyang, Henan,
• Pu’er from Simao, Yunnan
• Yinzhen or Silver Needle from Mt. Jun, Hunan

There are many more tea varieties that you can pick depending on the regions that you visit on your China holiday.

3. Handicrafts: Chinese handicrafts are created by artisans throughout the country. From afar, the works appear to be mysterious, intricate, and abstract, but a closer look gives the impression of power flowing in them. Some Chinese handicrafts that you might bring home include woodblock pictures, silk embroidery, pottery, carvings, leather silhouette, and embroidery.

4. Fine China: This is the name given to Chinese porcelain, one of the country’s earliest artworks introduced to the West via the Silk Road. China has an abundance of the raw materials needed to make ceramics, as well as the continuous development of the art form since the dynastic periods.

5. Jades: The Chinese use jade to symbolise nobility, beauty, power, constancy, perfection, and immortality. Jade craft-works have been recognised as precious and luxurious for the last 4,000 years, and they are worn or used to decorate rooms as a sign of beauty, elegance, loyalty, and eternity. The key places to get Jade include Hubei, Xinjiang, Henan, and Liaoning.

6. Paintings: Chinese paintings have evolved over the centuries to reflect the change of social conditions and time. The two primary techniques to look for are meticulous or court-style painting and freehand or watercolour or brush painting.

7. Antiques: If you have a relative or friend who is particularly fascinated by antiques, then you can get him or her a unique souvenir by visiting any of the curio shops and market stalls found in most cities and even country towns of China.

8. Wines and spirits: Liquor is always a great gift. In ancient China, alcoholic drinks were considered sacred for use in sacrifices only, but today they are a common accompaniment to Chinese food. Some top liquor choices include Fenjiu, Baijiu, Luzhou, Gujing, and Laobaigan.

You should not limit yourself on the gift choices to bring back home from your China holiday. There are so many more things that your family and friends might appreciate, including traditional Chinese clothes, Chinese calligraphy, chopsticks, and even traditional Chinese folk medicine.