Beijing Huaxia Arts and Crafts Shop is built in an antique style, and two white stone lions are keeping guard at the door. It's very closed to the Beijing Haige Hotel and Temple Of Heaven.

The shop specializes in old jewelry, silk embroidery, old porcelain, classical Chinese furniture, old pocket watches, etc.

Getting into the shop, a customer feels a serene and agreeable artistic atmosphere.

This is all the more surprising as the street outside is very busy.

The shop décor is beautiful with gray-black stone tiles, and glass enclosures in which the jewelry and other antiques are displayed.

Every article here is appealing and worthy of appreciation.

The shop carries 19th century jewelry — such as jadeite eardrops and necklace pendants – dating back from the Qing Dynasty.

Delicate and lifelike embroidery works hang on the wall. Some of these embroideries were worn by imperial officials, some such as little hats were worn by children. The latter aren’t expensive at between RMB 100 to RMB 200.

One of the showcases contains vials and flasks dating back one hundred to two hundreds ago.

These were used to pack snuff powder which the rich people would periodically inhale for better health. One of such vials bore a mountain design etched in black ink in the ceramics: a very rare object which required extraordinary skills from the artist. This one was priced at over RMB 6,000.

I also noticed ceramic tableware: one of the objects was a saucer set composed of eight trays surrounding a centerpiece.

All the trays, used to contain sugar, salt, and spices, where delicately decorated. The set also dated from the Qing Dynasty, and was in remarkable condition.

Most old porcelain items on display were created during the Qing Dynasty, that is, one hundred to three hundred years ago.

The shop also offers an impressive selection of antique clockworks, in metal and porcelain.

A lot of the objects can be exported to foreign countries.

Beijing Out Door Shop Near Temple Of Heaven

On the south side of Zhushikou Dongdajie near the Beijing Hai Ge International Hotel. lies an outdoor outfit shop called Tu Bu Tian Xia, which means “Hike around the World”.

This newly-opened shop features the American brand “The First Outdoor”, or TFO for short.

After the shop assistant greeted me, she told me that the brand comes from Delaware. Products include hiking boots, outdoor sportswear, backpacks, tents, and sleeping bags.

They are all developed and produced according to American standard.

According to the shop assistant, a featured product at the shop was the brown hiking boots, which features four patents of the brand: TFO-Waterproof, First-Grip, First-Tex, and First-Comfort.

Upon examination, I found that it look very firm and wearable. The sticker price was RMB 1099. But if you simply ask the shop assistant, she can usually give you a 20 percent discount.

I personally liked the green double-layer outdoor jacket (RMB 1269 before discount), which was made from waterproof and ventilated fabric.

You could also join the Tu Bu Tian Xia Camping Club here, to take part in organized activities with fellow outdoorsmen.

Beijing Handicraft, Vivid golden-cicada monkeys near Temple Of Heaven

The “golden-cicada monkey”, made of some raw material of Chinese traditional medicine, is a handicraft unique to Beijing.

The small monkey’s head and limbs are made of cicada’s cast-off skin, while the body is made from tender bud of a yellow magnolia, which resembles a monkey’s body.

The art was inadvertently created by a boy apprenticed to a doctor long ago, and has since been refined through the generations.

Yesterday afternoon, I paid a visit to a golden-cicada monkey workshop located on the second floor of Baigong Handicraft Museum near the Beijing Jiang Xi Grand Hotel.

The shop owner, also a master of making golden-cicada monkeys, was busy crafting his artifacts in the center of the room.

So I took a look at his large selection of lively and lovely tiny monkeys displayed on the shelves.

The monkeys were beating drums, playing soccer, eating sugar-coated haws, and many other poses.

On a wooden pedestal, I saw four monkeys playing table tennis, with audience and referee too (RMB 180).

Prices start at RMB 30 for small monkeys contained within glass jars. Generally, the prices are reasonable for gifts and souvenirs.

Beijing silk figurines near Temple Of Heaven and Beijing Days Hotel

A Beijing silk figurine is a Chinese figurine with gorgeous silk clothes. It usually depicts ancient beauties from Chinese folktales. People like to decorate their home with these beautiful dolls.

A few days ago I found a silk figurine shop in a famous handicrafts market in Beijing near the Days Hotel and Suites. Each figurine is characterized by its unique facial expression and elegant posture.

Some are reading, some are dancing, some are playing musical instruments, and some seem to be delivering an eloquent speech.

According to the shop assistant, a silk figurine is entirely handmade. The process of making a silk figurine involves many steps, including sculpting, painting, designing clothes, and arranging the hair.

It usually takes a skilled worker a couple of weeks to make just one silk figurine.

One figurine featuring a woman combing her hair was my favorite. Her hair is made of silk thread.

Besides silk figurines, the shop also has other colorful items like cloisonne bracelets, plates, and handmade straw hats.

Beijing Silk Fabrics near Temple Of Heaven

The quality tablecloth felt very good, and offered at different sizes. Small ones come in 4 x 4 feet, while larger ones are 5 x 10 feet. The owner showed me one piece of table runner with beautiful pictures.

He said this kind of table runner are even framed and hung on walls by some customers. It was that beautiful a piece of art.

Most silk fabrics are volume-produced by machine. But a few are handmade. Prices range from RMB 100 to RMB 370 for machine-made ones. Handmade products are more expensive.

For example, a set of handmade silk table decoration including a tablecloth, a table runner, some cushions, and a pair of jewel cases cost RMB 4000.

The shop also offers the chopstick cases, photo albums and purses.

Old Beijing Bone Carving Accessories near Temple Of Heaven

The shop covers a wide range of bone carvings, including necklaces, bracelets, jewelry cases, hairpins, and lifelike figurines.

The lovely animal figurines are especially eye-catching. One cute piece featured a big elephant dragging a cart on which a small elephant stood.

I was amazed at its delicate design. Another one I liked was a frog with a big open mouth. It is used to collect coins.

The most complicated carvings were figurines of people in gowns. The patterns were very detailed, and required special skills to make them look archaic.

The shop also features glass cases with small ornaments. You may pick and choose from them make necklaces and bracelets.

Many bone carvings have a marked price. Price of a hairpin, for example was RMB 285. Price of people figurines cost from RMB 800 to RMB 2000. But everything is negotiable. Make sure to bargain.

Beijing clay figurines near Temple Of Heaven

This method dates back to the Shang Dynasty over 3,500 years ago, when artisans used simple and cheap materials to make small and delicate clay figurines.

Nowadays, the handicraft has developed into a kind of folk art appreciated by people from around the world.

Yesterday afternoon, I paid a visit to a clay figurine shop lying on the second floor of Baigong Handicraft Museum near the Beijing Guang Xi Hotel.

There were a large variety of colorful, interesting clay figurines on display in this two-room shop.

Two showy Peking Opera figurines caught my eye. One was Mu Guiying, a famous heroine of the Song Dynasty.

The other was Yang Guifei, a famous beauty of the Tang Dynasty. They wore colorful Peking Opera costumes. Each of them was mounted in a picture frame, and priced at RMB 60

For casual gifts, you may find small vivid clay animals like dog, horse, or tiger for RMB 25 appealing. Prices are fixed, and generally not on sale.

Beijing Baigong Handicrafts Museum Shrine Pottery near Temple Of Heaven

Koji pottery originated from Guangdong Province during the Qing Dynasty. Traditionally the pottery was used mainly as temple and shrine adornments. However, Koji pottery is looked at now as a style of folk art for its variety of soft colors and designs.

I visited the Koji pottery shop in Baigong Handicraft Museum near the Jiang Xi Grand Hotel. Each piece combined the art of molding, engraving, painting, and firing, resulting in colorful and lively works.

What I like most were these little colorful lions in a variety of poses. The shop assistant told me they are made in Taiwan and sold at RMB 300 each.

The shop also carries some Tang Sancai, or 3-colored-glaze pottery of the Tang Dynasty. The most figures were horses in various stances (RMB 160 each). Also amazing was a small wooden folding screen, with six tourism spots of Beijing like the Great Wall and Tian’anmen Square engraved (RMB 120).

Purple clay teapots shop near Temple of heaven

What a pity it is if a tea lover doesn’t have a good purple clay teapot!

For these teapots accentuate and preserve the aroma of your tea, bringing out its full taste.

It does this through tiny, invisible pores which allow air to freely flow, and for the flavor to sink in.

The longer a purple clay teapot is used, the sleeker and brighter it looks.

Yesterday, on the fifth floor of Beijing Bairong World Trade Center near the Beijing Jiang Xi Grand Hotel, I found a nice place carrying both purple clay and porcelain tea sets.

The purple clay tea pots on a shelf come in brown, chocolate, and green hues.

Most of them are sold for RMB 50 to 300.

Higher end pots were made by masters with their personal certificate.

Other purple clay products include cups in various sizes and small animal decorations.

They also carry a wide variety of porcelain tea sets. Although not as good as purple clay when it comes to tea-making, these tea sets do look more exquisite for decoration purposes.

Most come in gift boxes. The most appealing one to me was a box containing a pot and four tea bowls. Combining both purple clay and porcelain, they also have an antique feel with various cracks.

Don’t worry. These cracks are made by design and won’t break. Each set costs about RMB 45.

The shop owners have much experience with foreign customers, so communication is not a problem.

Beijing bronze ware

In China, bronze ware has been in use for over four millenniums.

Chinese bronze ware is highly valued for its consummate workmanship and primitive beauty.

On my visit to Baigong Handicraft Museum near the Beijing Jiang Xi Grand Hotel, a bronze and copper ware shop drew my attention.

As I entered the shop, an old artisan was working on a piece of bronze using a magnifying glass.

Several beautiful metal ornaments were displayed on shelves.

The darker ones were made of bronze, while the others were made from copper.

A pair of bronze unicorns with fine, clear markings looked especially stately and exquisite.

I tried to break the ice with the artisan, and he raised his head and turned to me.

We talked about various things. He told me that each unicorn cost 400 yuan.

And he also said that his key goods were copper incense burners made by his own hands.

I tried to lift a square-shaped one. To my surprise, it felt rather heavy.

The artisan told me that the copper had passed through the purifying process five times. It cost 4000 yuan.

Beijing Precious collection shop near Temple Of Heaven

In the Beijing Handcraft and Art Museum near the Beijing Guangxi Hotel there exists a special collection shop with some of unique items. It's not far from the Temple of Heaven.

All merchandise inside are limited in amount, and generally quite pricey for casual shoppers.

As a lover of calligraphy, I was particularly enthralled by the three pieces exact replicas of works by Wang Xizhi, Wang Xianzhi, and Wang Xunzhi.

These three works by the most famous calligraphers were 5 meter long each, and framed in gold.

Each piece is sold at RMB 18600 due to their high collection value. In case you are wondering, the originals are at the Forbidden City.

Other collections include a set of four golden watches which had undergone the Buddha’s consecration ceremony, sold at RMB 28600, and a commemorative book of Mei Lanfang, China’s greatest opera star.

The “Mei Lanfang’s Art on the Stage” is pegged at RMB 9900.

Beijing tearing paper near Temple Of Heaven

On my visit to Beijing Baigong Handicrafts Museum near the Beijing Guang Xi Hotel, I discovered a paper-tearing shop on the second floor, which made me gasp in admiration for the dexterous hands of paper-tearing masters.

Paper-tearing originated more than 1,500 years ago and is a branch of the paper-cutting art.

Compared with regular paper-cutting, this art looks more original and more improvised, reminiscent of the Chinese traditional brush painting.

A paper-tearing artisan tears the paper into an imagined design following his inclinations.

The shop owner, an elderly woman, is a master of this art.

She told me she has been in love with paper-tearing since her childhood.

Today she is very renowned, and frequently asked to make head portraits for international celebrities.

For the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, she even made paper-tearing portraits for Jacques Rogge and Juan Antonio Samaranch, current and former Chairmen of the International Olympic Committee.

Among the works on display, I saw many familiar figures.

Chairman Mao’s portrait was one of many historical figures made. I also saw works depicting ladies in the classic Chinese literature, Dream of the Red Mansion.

In addition, you can find different paper-tears of each of the 12 traditional Chinese birth-animals.

Most paper-tears cost RMB 40 each.

Beijing Xiang Rong pottery atrs studio

On my visit to the fifth floor of Beijing Bairong World Trade Center near the Beijing Hongkun International, a shop full of decorations reflecting rural people and the old Beijing caught my eye. I didn’t hesitate to step in.

A shop assistant greeted me and told me that this was the wholesale department of Xiangrong Art Studio.

This venue features two rooms - one for pottery decorations, the other for paintings.

All the works here are made by folk artists.

I liked their decorations, for they reminded me of the old Beijing.

Some of their displays are miniature gates of the old Beijing courtyards.

I spent my childhood in a traditional courtyard not far from Tian’anmen Square, so these miniature gates really brought back old memories.

The grey bricks, the wooden gates, the gate piers, even the patches of moss, are all reminiscent of my old life long gone now.

Miniature courtyard gates were priced at RMB 150 or 180.

A miniature village courtyard looked lovely too.

The enclosure was built of stones, and on the front wall of the cottage hung strings of golden maize and red peppers.

The villagers, made of pottery, looked quite happy in their simple clothes.

Each of their items is original and unique, so I bet you will not regret taking a visit to this outlet.

As gourds are natural fruits, the artists must base their imagination on an existing object, rather than starting from scratch.

One place you may find them is at a small shop inside the Beijing Baigong Handicraft Museum near Temple Of Heaven and the Beijing Hongkun International Hotel.

The shop is run by an elderly couple. The husband is a master at carving gourds, while his wife is an expert at painting handkerchiefs.

Curious, I entered the shop. Inside are different sized gourds with interesting pictures displayed everywhere.

There are a variety of patterns, like beautiful scenery and animals.

All of them beautifully took advantage the natural shapes of different gourds.

The shop owner told me that his most popular design was called “Kiss.” The gourd is laid on the ground, and its two spheres show a boy and a girl kissing face to face. This piece cost 580 yuan.

There’s a counter which showcased hand-painted silk handkerchiefs, created by the wife.

Her patterns include landscapes, characters and animals. The workmanship looked superb. Price for one small silk handkerchief was 20 yuan.

Beiing Jiang Qing Zhai porcelain shop near Temple Of Heaven

In the country of origin for porcelain, the most famous place for producing porcelain is Jingdezhen in Jiangxi Province.

In fact, the city’s name is literally synonymous with porcelain.

Walk 15 minutes south from Tian’anmen Square, and you can find a Jingdezhen porcelain shop called JiangQingZhai on ZhuShiKou South Street near the Beijing Jiang Xi Grand Hotel.

On my visit there, I found something amazing.

One piece that really reflects a saying about JingDeZhen porcelain, ‘white as jade, thin as paper, bright as mirror, and sounds as chime stone’.

I discovered two porcelain bowls on a shelf. One is bigger than the other. Both are so thin that even look transparent in some areas.

This style is called hollowed-out work, and looks amazing. The bowls are painted in various types of blue patterns.

Another appealing piece was a set of ten eggshell bowls.

Each is laid inside another, with the smallest in the center. The exterior surface of each bowl has paintings of lovely, vivid flowers and birds.