Shopping

Beijing
While you buy can fruit and vegetables at local markets for very low prices, if you want to buy imported food products, you will generally need to pay more than in Western countries. You can have tailored-made clothes made at a fraction of the price of off-the-rack items in Western countries. But luxury European and other foreign brands have a high price tag.

Beijing offers a range of shopping options from high-end shopping malls such as Shin Kong Place, China World Trade Centre and Oriental Plaza to the local markets such as the Silk Market, Hongqiao Market, and Pan Jia Yuan dirt market.

www.beijingtraveltips.com/shopping.htm

Shanghai
The Shanghainese are most famous for their tailoring, a craft that has been practiced with pride for centuries. Shanghai tailors have made their way all over the world and are known to be meticulous in the cut and fit of their clothes. Nowadays, much of the craft is sadly lost, but there are still great bargains to be had and some excellent tailors and couturiers who make clothes to-order. There is also a lively art scene in Shanghai, with many contemporary Chinese artists commanding international art market prices for their works. Embroidery is also a good buy in Shanghai. The streets around Huaihai Road and Nanjing Road contain the main shopping areas and you will find a wide range of clothes and foodstuffs, handicrafts and souvenirs there.