Beijing Baigong Fang Jade Shop near Temple of Heaven

Although not well known in the west, Jade is a very popular jewelry among Chinese people, especially women.

Jade is known for its graceful color and elaborately carved patterns, as well as mythical powers in chasing away bad luck.

At Beijing Baigong Handicraft Museum near the Jiang Xi Grand Hotel and Temple Of Heaven, I found a shop specializing in jadeite ware.

The shop assistant guaranteed that all of their jewelry is made of top grade jadeite.

Raw jade is imported from Burma, and they are then carved by master craftsmen in Guangzhou.

For ladies, the shop offers bracelets and necklace pendants with Buddha and Ping An Kou (literally means button of protection).

A bracelet usually costs several thousand yuan.

For men, they have pendants such as Guanyin (the Goddess of Mercy) and Pi Xiu (legendary animal which eats and retains wealth).

A yellow-colored Pi Xiu cost about 600 yuan.

Also on display was a big, crude, black-colored jadeite stone.

The shop assistant turned on a small flashlight against the stone, so I could see beautiful, charming green light shining into it. It was amazing to see graceful jadeite ware made from this kind of stone.

Old Beijing Paper Cutting Shop Near Forbidden City

One of China’s most time-honored traditions is the fine art of paper cutting, which has been around since ancient times.

Zi Yi Xuan, a Paper-cutting shop right near a lot of Beijing Hotels, offers a large selection of paper-cutting works in the center of Beijing. They make paper cuttings of all sorts of themes, including shadow puppets, peacocks, playing children, opera figures, and court ladies.

Mr. Li, the owner, said one of the most popular items is the set of 12 Chinese Zodiac animals, believed to bring happiness and success to their owner. The works look lively, and the animals seem to pop out from the paper. The set sells around RMB 900.

I also picked up a colorful fish paper-cutting commonly seen during the Chinese spring festivals. People use them to adorn their doors and windows during Spring Festival. The fish express their wishes for more wealth. It sells only for RMB 25.

Other popular themes include historical tales, auspicious animals, and daily life scenes. I even found some Fuwa mascots for the Olympics.

Mr. Li speaks a little English. Communication should not be a problem.

Beijing Yu Hai Ying Zhou Chinese Ethnic Shop Near Forbidden City

Yu Hai Ying Zhou is an excellent shop for fans of Chinese ethnic products. Located behind the Palace museum of the Forbidden City near the Beijing Redwall Hotel, it carries a wide selection of deep Chinese ethnic handicrafts and accessories.

Most accessories, like sofa cushions, tea sets, tablecloths, Chinese knots, and china vases, make for wonderful interior decoration.

While the handicrafts cover a wide variety of items from silk handbags to Shanxi shadow puppets.

I found the shop assistants, who speak a little English, easy to engage. They recommended, among other things, the shadow puppets coming from Shannxi, the home province of leather-silhouette show.

This ancient art uses puppets made of donkey or ox leather to create shadows on a piece of white cloth, with performers behind the scene controlling the action.

The puppets can be surprisingly detailed, such as a framed ‘General’ Puppet on display (RMB 120).

Two items I personally liked were an embroidered silk pillow(RMB 65) and a silk handbag (RMB 60).

The pillow felt very soft, and had a delicate fragrance. The silk handbag looked beautiful and would make a great gift.

Beijing Deep Mountains Bamboo Art Studio Near The Forbidden City

Coming from XianNing, a mountainous city where bamboos are abundant, Mountain Gifts offers a large selection of bamboo books and sculptures.

The crafters of the shop use the ancient way to make bamboo books – by hand-carving on the narrow bamboo strips.

Their themes include Dream of Red Mansion, legend of Eight Immortals, Chairman Mao’s snow poem, and Sun Tzu’s Art of War. Each piece sells around RMB 300.

In the bamboo sculpture section, I was enthralled by the sculpture of “Zhu Lin Qi Xian” – the seven famous scholars of the 3 Kingdoms era.

The carving works were excellent, as I could see clearly the smallest details. Ms. Zhang, the owner, said a good bamboo sculpture doesn’t come easy.

Qualified bamboo is hard to find and the shape will largely affect the sculpture process. That particular artwork is priced at about RMB 2,000.

The shop also offers little bamboo products, such as jars, dishes, food baskets, spoons, and trays.

Beijing Wood paintings near the Drum Tower

In the past, you may find them on windows and doors of almost every home before the Spring Festival.

The natural and simple strokes, created by simple farmers, express their simple desires for the upcoming year.

Color Together, located in Drum Tower near The Emperor Hotel , is a newly opened shop selling this Chinese specialty.

The shop owner, Mr Yi, developed a love for this art because he was born in a town famous for Spring Festival paintings. He happily shared the paintings’ stories.

I really liked the story of the “Door God”. According to legends, two brothers called Shen Tu and Yu Lei supervised ghosts and monsters.

If a monster wanted to harm a human, the brothers would tie the monster up to feed the tiger. Later people drew portraits of Shen Tu and Yu Lei on windows and doors, to ward off unwelcomed guests.

I found the delicate Chinese doll very attractive. It depicts a smiling Chinese doll with a scroll in her hand. The words on the scroll means harmony.

This design came from the beautiful city of Su Zhou, and one of the most famous wood block paintings in China. This is difficult to find Su Zhou’s painting nowadays.

Prices are modest. Smaller works tend to be under a hundred yuans. While more complicated works cost several  hundred yuans.

Chinese Folk Arts Near Forbidden City

Chinese Folkarts Shop near the Fu Hao Hotel specializes in folk handicrafts, such as paper cuts, embroidered shoes, kites, facial make-ups of the Beijing Operas, dough figurines, silk figurines, folk jewelry, Chinese calligraphy and paintings, chopsticks, etc.

Among their exclusive merchandise, the shop carries pottery items like Buddhas and unicorns, and shadow puppets.

The shop plays classical Chinese music to attract customers’ attention. Foreign visitors account for 70-80% of their customers.

On a picturesque note, a white cat with yellow eyes was wandering in the shop at the time of my visit.

The shop owner told me the cat was a stray, until a shop assistant took her in and the cat refused to leave ever since.

Many foreign visitors like to hold the cat in arms and have pictures taken.

Beijing Beautiful Jun Wares Near The Forbidden City

Jun ware is a type of celadon, with a strange blue and white color due to its unique makeup.

Those who wish to obtain some of the best Jun ware in Beijing can find a nice shop conveniently located near the Forbidden City not far from Beijing Emperor Hotel. It is called Yan Bao Tang.

This shop offers a selection of Jun porcelain made straight from the origin, Yu County in Henan. There, the Jun ware were made using an ancient kiln excavated 3 decades ago.

I had a chat with Mr. Wang, the shop owner and noted connoisseur. He told me he was fascinated by Jun porcelain and the process - Furnace Transmutation.

This technique could make shimmering chinaware by the irregular application of glaze.

In the shop, I saw a mountain-themed plate. But after the Furnace Transmutation process, a Santa image popped up unexpectedly.

This is the magic of Furnace Transmutation. Before the process finished, you’d never know what you are going to get. This particular plate costs around RMB 2,500.

Though most of the products copy traditional designs, there are some modern patterns.

Two bottle vases with bronze lace and flames are actually designed by Mr. Han Meilin, who created Beijing’s Olympic mascots. Each vase sells for around RMB 3,000.

Beijing Pottery Shop Near The Forbidden City

While most pottery shops tend to sell ornamental vases, the ECI Art Gallery offers beautiful pottery which is practical and makes your home more beautiful.

The shop is not far from the Forbidden City near the Beijing International Hotel. It offers a selection of pottery pencil & flower vases and ashtrays.

The strangely wonderful designs of their products really drew me in.

There I saw a Great Wall shaped pencil vase, with the famous Chairman Mao saying: He who has never been to the Great Wall is not a true man.

The design is great yet practical. And it only costs RMB 80.

I personally like the stone-shape vase, carved by an old Chinese slangs, which roughly translates to ‘Be sure to remain ignorant when the situation calls for it’.

So I bought the vase for RMB 90 with a 10% off.

Also there are a selection of yak-bone rings, turquoise-studded bracelets, and colorful clothing from Tibet and Nepal.

Prices vary, from RMB 30 for a string of rosary to several hundred RMBs for a Nepalese Saari.

The manager is Mr. Kang, who speaks a little English.

Beijing Chunny Ceramics Near Di

A small porcelain shop recently opened on the north side of Di’anmen Dongdajie near the Beijing Ning Xia Hotel. It’s easily recognizable, with its white signboard which shows the shop name “Chunny Ceramics”.

Their catchphrase, written in Chinese characters, was “We produce practical works of art”. I went inside to check it out.

The wooden shelves show various uniquely shaped ceramics, including sculptures, vessels, home decorations, tea sets, wall decorations, and necklaces.

The shopkeeper, Mr. Li, told me that all of their products are designed by professional artisans in Jingdezhen, the famous ceramics capital of China.

He also said that each item is uniquely handmade. If you buy one cup, you can be sure that there’s no other cup in the world like it.

To check, I looked at their ceramics one by one carefully, and found that each one really did look different from others.

The cups I picked up had irregular small pits on the surface, but my fingers fit around the pits comfortably. That’s when I realized that this cup was designed this way.

One cup usually costs RMB 10 - 20. Note that nearly each cup bears their registered brand name “Chun Ni”, which means “Spring Soil” in English.

They also accept customer requests. If you have a particular idea in mind, they can design and make a custom ceramic work in about 20 days.

Two assistants who can speak some English ensure smooth communication.

Beijing Good Old Days Handicrafts Shop Near Forbidden City

There are large numbers of handicraft shops in Beijing. But it is not that easy to find a quality one with good prices. So I was very happy coming across Good Old Days near the Beijing Redwall Hotel.

Carrying over 100 categories of finely selected traditional Chinese handicrafts, Good Old Days has been in the business for almost a decade. They offer everything from clay baubles to cloth cats, wood paintings to zodiac pendants. Everything brings and old-time touch.

In the of clay products section, I picked up a small, stripped-color kitty with its tail pointing up. This lovely animal, as the owner told me, is popular with ladies as a place to put their rings. It only sells for RMB 20.

There are two dozens of Chinese shadow puppets in the puppet section. Made of donkey or ox leather, those little figures are used for shadow play and home decoration. Each sells around RMB 150.

The owner is a native Beijinger, who speaks fluent English and would like to share his insights on Chinese culture with foreign friends.

Wangfujing Artworks Mansion

Beijng Wangfujing Walk Street near the Beijing Redwall Hotel and Beijing International Hotel is one of the most famous venues for shopping in Beijing.

Strolling up and down this crowded street, passers-by have scores of choices to indulge in their favorite sin.

In this multitude of shops, I spotted one in particular which offers various kinds of exquisite ornaments.

This shop is located on the 2nd floor of the Artworks Mansion.

They have an abundance of jade, golden and silver jewelries, Tibetan ornaments, and figures of Buddha carved of rare timbers.

The shop not only offers various kinds of ornaments, but it is also a study center for Buddhists.

As I visited this huge place, a smiling assistant served me all the time. On each wall, numerous figures of Buddha carved of rare timbers.

In the glass display tables at the center, ornaments are categorized showed based on their materials: crystal, colored glaze, wood, and jade.

Each Buddha figurine is accompanied by a tag showing the type of timber, the name of the Buddha, the country of production.

I was interested in a deep brown color figurine (RMB 26,000) made of a Vietnamese wood called Nanmu (楠木). Its expression and the decorations around had been carved carefully by the craftsman.

Then the shop assistant showed me a set of crystal bracelets.

She explained that each Chinese zodiac animal matched a kind of crystal. For example, the goat matched a deep purple crystal, supposedly capable of absorbing body toxins. A box contained 12 crystal bracelets of 12 different colors, priced each at RMB 268.

Prices for Buddha figurines ranged from RMB 500 to RMB 50,000, and for other ornaments from RMB 200 to RMB 20,000. Bargaining is not customary in this shop.

The Artworks Mansion hosts other shops on the 2nd floor.

In general, their prices ranged from RMB 10 to much more. Again, no bargaining is really possible with the shop assistants.

Fortunately, prices are clearly marked and the shop assistants can speak a little English.

Gorgeous Lacquer Thread Sculptures Shop Near Forbidden City

Beijing Lacquer Thread Sculpture is an ancient art. In ancient times, the lacquer threads created patterns on deity figures.

Today, it is more popular for decorating bowls, vases, and various table settings.

The FuSan Lacquer Thread Sculpture shop, located right near the Redwall and Fuhao, offers a large selection of products from the best place for Lacquer Thread Sculptures, city of Xiamen.

The dominant theme here is the imperial dragon, though you will also find other designs like flowers and birds.

I saw a red porcelain vase decorated with two gold-plated dragons. The vase featured a silhouette of a plump lady, and the dragons were made with lacquer threads.

In ancient times, vases like this one would only be seen in the palace in old days. But today, you can get it for RMB 3000.

There’s also a celadon jar modeled finely decorated with a dragon and a phoenix, symbols of the emperor and the empress. A slight crack by the handle gives the jar an antique feel. The jar cost RMB 4500.

I also found other interesting wares. There’s a celadon dish decorated with Peking opera masks, white porcelain jar with auspicious animal sculptures, and a replica of the famous Nine-Dragon Wall in the Forbidden City.

You can watch videos of this shop here!

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 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.