Tea
Because tea plays a n important role in daily life (from tea brewed in people's flasks at their office desks to high-end tea ceremonies with special tea), tea quality varies throughout different shops too. If you want normal tea that people drink on a day to day basis, check convenience stores and supermarkets. In many supermarkets, it will even be possible to buy many different types of tea by the gram.
Silk
Perhaps one of the most popular products to take home for female relatives, silk products are an old favorite. Nice silk clothing can be quite expensive, depending on the quality. The same goes for bedding sets, but smaller items such as pillowcases, bags, and accessories are more affordable and widely available at tourist sites.
If you are interested in getting clothes or traditional Chinese clothes made using silk, our guides will be able to help you ensure the quality is good.
Ceramics
Along with silk, ceramics and porcelain have been used by the Chinese for thousands of years. Hand-painted pottery, tiles and other sorts of Chinese ceramic-ware make for elegant gifts that will definitely be appreciated. Worldwide famous, Chinese ceramics is available in different colors, which is usually subject to the area they are made in. Many provinces, in fact, produce pottery and in Shanghai, it is possible to find them all, both created by modern designers and those dating back to the Qing dynasty. Pots, tea sets, plates and cups of every shape and color are widely available in many places, from tourist markets to small local shops.
Handicrafts
Shanghai is a place which is filled with more handicrafts than you could possibly imagine. There are beautiful handicrafts all over the city and you can expect to find everything from jewelry, scarves, candles, lamp covers and much more. China is home to over fifty-six minority groups and each one has its own individual culture and tradition. These cultures and traditions are beautifully portrayed in the magnificent selection of handicrafts. You could consider buying some ethnic jewelry, traditional shawls and artwork.
Paper Fans
Symbol of femininity, fans were widely used by concubines during the royal periods, both to give some relief during the hottest hours of the day and as an essential accessory comparable with a piece of jewelry. Today, they are still used in hot summer months, although they are not all as finely decorated as they used to be during the imperial era. Fans come at different prices, depending on the quality of the material and whether or not they are handmade. They can be made of silk and hand-painted with typical Chinese patterns of natural objects, such as birds, landscapes, mountains, lakes, etc. Fans make for a nice gift that is particularly appreciated during the hot season.
Snacks
Most of Chinese have sweet tooth, hence the presence of sweetness in many local dishes; this also explains why there's usually no dessert offered after a meal in China. Still, the traditional cooking of China abounds in cookies, sweets and snacks of various sort, comprising among others dried fruits, sunflower and watermelon seeds, tasty peanut brittle and most popular sun cakes. Peanut brittle is a typical Chinese sweet featuring natural roasted or candied peanut. Sun cakes - round pastries filled with maltose, condensed malt sugar - are often sold prepackaged in gift boxes for tourists. Their counterparts - moon cakes - are just as popular and represent round or rectangular pastries filled with lotus seed paste. Sweets, cakes and dried fruits are typical gifts from China and very easy to pack when traveling.
Opera Masks
The opera is a huge part of Chinese entertainment, and the masks are an important part of the overall show, especially in Beijing Opera. To take some of the show homes with you, or if you think the masks would be a great addition to that blank wall, check out the souvenir stores. They're available in many different sizes and in a range of different color combinations depending on what you prefer.