China offers one of the most varied shopping experiences in the world — ancient markets selling handmade crafts sit a few streets away from seven-floor luxury malls stocking every major Western brand. Prices can be a fraction of what you'd pay at home, but knowing where to shop and how to pay makes all the difference.
Mobile payment (Alipay or WeChat Pay) is the norm almost everywhere. Many smaller vendors, market stalls, and street shops do not accept cash or foreign cards — set up your payment apps before you shop.
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Markets
The best place for souvenirs, bargains, streetwear, antiques, and local crafts. Bargaining is expected and part of the fun.
Bargain Expected
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Malls
Fixed prices, international brands, air conditioning, and food courts. Great for electronics, cosmetics, and fashion.
Fixed Price
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Online (Taobao / JD)
Cheapest prices for almost everything. Requires Chinese payment setup — a great option if you're staying a while.
Lowest Prices
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Specialty Streets
Every major city has streets dedicated to a single product type — tea, fabric, electronics, antiques, flowers. Worth seeking out.
Worth Exploring
Payment reminder: Set up Alipay or WeChat Pay before you hit the markets — many vendors won't accept cash or foreign cards. See our Money & Payments guide for setup instructions.
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Where to Shop
Markets, malls, streets, and everything in between
Markets
Every major Chinese city has its own market scene — antique markets, night markets, wholesale bazaars, and flea markets each with a distinct character. For specific market recommendations by city, check the individual city guides where we cover the best spots, opening hours, and what to look for.
As a general rule: antique markets are best on weekend mornings when selection is widest; night markets peak Thursday to Sunday from around 6pm; and indoor markets are open daily year-round regardless of weather.
Malls & Department Stores
Chinese malls are enormous, well air-conditioned, and stock everything from luxury goods to fast fashion. Major cities have multiple high-end malls — SKP in Beijing, Plaza 66 in Shanghai — as well as mid-range options like Wanda Plaza found in almost every city. Prices are fixed and receipts are standard.
Specialty Shopping Streets
City
Street / Area
Speciality
Beijing
Maliandao Tea Street
Tea from across China — hundreds of specialist shops
Beijing
Zhongguancun / Haidian
Electronics, gadgets, computer hardware
Shanghai
Fabric Market (South Bund)
Tailored clothing and fabric by the metre
Shanghai
Tianzifang
Artisan crafts, indie design, local brands
Guangzhou
Yide Road
Wholesale toys, stationery, and gifts
Chengdu
Chunxi Road
Fashion, cosmetics, and local lifestyle brands
Yiwu
International Trade Market
Wholesale everything — the world's largest small commodity market
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How to Bargain
The art of negotiating a good price at markets
Bargaining is a normal, expected part of shopping at Chinese markets, street stalls, and tourist shops. It's not rude — refusing to negotiate at all is often more awkward than haggling enthusiastically. The opening price is almost never the real price.
As a visibly foreign visitor, vendors will often start significantly higher than they would for a local — sometimes 5–10x the actual going rate. The single most effective thing you can do is bring a Chinese friend or local contact to shop with you. Prices frequently drop the moment a native speaker is involved.
Never bargain at supermarkets, chain stores, pharmacies, or anywhere with price tags displayed on shelves. Fixed-price retail is fixed — attempting to bargain there is genuinely inappropriate.
The Bargaining Process
1
Show interest without eagerness
Browse casually. Pick up items without immediately asking prices. Merchants read enthusiasm and price accordingly.
2
Get the opening price
Ask "多少钱?" (Duōshǎo qián? — How much?). Note the first price — it's almost always inflated 3–10x for tourists.
3
Counter at 10–20% of the asking price
This sounds very aggressive but is often necessary, especially as a foreigner. If they ask ¥200, start at ¥20–40. React with genuine surprise — "太贵了!" (Tài guì le! — Too expensive!). Don't worry about offending anyone; vendors are used to it.
4
Negotiate back and forth
Meet somewhere in the middle. The final price is usually 30–50% of the opening ask. Use a calculator or your phone to show numbers if there's a language barrier.
5
Walk away if needed
If the price isn't moving, start to leave. This often produces an immediate better offer. Only do this if you're genuinely willing to leave without the item.
6
Commit once you agree
Don't agree on a price then try to renegotiate further, or change your mind and leave — this is considered rude and causes loss of face.
Buying multiple items from the same vendor dramatically increases your leverage. "If I buy three, what's the price?" is one of the most effective bargaining moves you have.
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Online Shopping
Taobao, JD, and navigating China's e-commerce world
China has the world's most sophisticated e-commerce ecosystem. Prices online are often far below what you'd find in any physical store, and delivery within cities is frequently same-day. For longer stays, setting up online shopping access is well worth the effort.
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Taobao (淘宝)
China's biggest C2C marketplace — think eBay but bigger. Extraordinary range at very low prices. Quality varies; read reviews carefully. Requires Alipay to pay.
Best Range
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JD.com (京东)
More like Amazon — focused on authenticity and fast delivery. Better for electronics, branded goods, and anything where fakes are a concern. Slightly higher prices than Taobao.
Most Reliable
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Pinduoduo (拼多多)
Group-buying platform with extremely low prices. Particularly popular in smaller cities. Quality can be very inconsistent — best for low-stakes, inexpensive items.
Lowest Prices
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Delivery (快递)
Delivery in major cities can be same-day or next-day. Packages are left at the door or a nearby pickup locker (快递柜). Riders call when arriving — have a local number or hotel reception handle it.
Very Fast
Taobao's app has a built-in image search — photograph something you want to buy and it will find similar items for sale. Incredibly useful for finding copies or equivalents of things you've seen on the street.
Taobao and some other platforms are in Chinese only. Google Translate's camera mode works reasonably well for navigating the app, but it takes patience. JD.com has a more accessible international interface.
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What to Buy
The best souvenirs, bargains, and things unique to China
Great Value in China
Item
Why Buy in China
Where to Find It
Tea
Extraordinary range, direct from origin, prices a fraction of abroad
Specialty tea streets, markets, tea houses
Silk
High quality raw and finished silk at low prices
South Bund Fabric Market (Shanghai), Suzhou
Tailored clothing
Custom-made garments in 24–48 hours at low cost
Fabric markets in Shanghai, Beijing
Electronics & accessories
Competitive prices, especially for cables, cases, and gadgets
Zhongguancun (Beijing), Huaqiangbei (Shenzhen)
Traditional crafts
Calligraphy, ink stones, paper cuts, ceramics — authentic and affordable
Antique markets, museum shops
Cosmetics
Chinese skincare brands (Florasis, Perfect Diary) at domestic prices
Malls, department stores, Watsons
Streetwear & fashion
Domestic brands like Li-Ning and Anta with designs not sold abroad
Malls, flagship stores, Taobao
Snacks & food gifts
Regional specialties, unusual flavours, beautifully packaged gift sets
Supermarkets, airport shops, local bakeries
Be Cautious With
Branded luxury goods at market pricesIf a "Rolex" costs ¥200 or a "Louis Vuitton" bag costs ¥300, it's a fake. Purchasing counterfeit goods is illegal and they may be confiscated at customs.
Antiques and "ancient" artefactsGenuine antiques over 100 years old cannot legally be exported from China. Most items sold as antiques are reproductions — buy them as decorative items, not investments.
Jade and gemstonesQuality varies enormously and fakes are common. Only buy from reputable dealers if you're spending significant money, and don't trust dramatic stories about "factory closing sales."
Wildlife productsSome traditional medicine shops sell products derived from protected species. These are illegal to export and can result in serious penalties at customs.
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Customs & Taking Goods Home
What you can bring back — and what to watch out for
Chinese Export Rules
Genuine antiques over 100 years old require an export permit from the State Administration of Cultural Heritage — without it, they will be confiscated
Counterfeit goods are illegal to export and will be seized at Chinese customs or your home country's customs
Wildlife products (ivory, certain furs, traditional medicines derived from protected species) are prohibited exports under CITES — penalties are severe
Large amounts of cash (over $5,000 USD equivalent) must be declared when leaving China
VAT Refund for Tourists
China offers a VAT refund scheme for foreign visitors. You can claim back 11% VAT on purchases made at participating stores, subject to a minimum spend per receipt (typically ¥500). Look for the "Tax Refund" logo at upmarket department stores and luxury retailers.
Ask for a tax refund receipt (退税单) at the point of purchase
Not all stores participate — look for the Tax Free Shopping logo
Present goods, receipts, and your passport at the Tax Refund counter at the airport before check-in
Allow extra time — queues can be long at major airports
Refunds can be issued in cash (RMB or USD) or back to your credit card
Your Home Country's Import Limits
Your home country will have its own limits on what you can bring back duty-free. Common limits include around $800 USD (US), £390 (UK), or €430 (EU) worth of goods. Check your customs authority's website before you shop heavily — declaring excess goods is always better than having them seized.
Keep all your receipts while shopping in China. If customs asks where an item came from or what you paid, having a receipt makes everything much smoother — both in China and when you arrive home.
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Useful Shopping Phrases
Key Mandarin for markets and bargaining
多少钱？
Duōshǎo qián?
How much is it?
Your most-used phrase at any market
太贵了！
Tài guì le!
Too expensive!
Say this immediately after hearing the price
便宜一点
Piányí yīdiǎn
A bit cheaper, please
A polite way to open the negotiation
可以打折吗？
Kěyǐ dǎzhé ma?
Can you give a discount?
More direct — works well at clothing shops
我要这个
Wǒ yào zhège
I'll take this one
Point at the item when you say it
不要了，谢谢
Bú yào le, xièxiè
No thank you, I don't want it
Firm but polite way to decline persistent vendors
能便宜到…吗？
Néng piányí dào… ma?
Can you bring it down to …?
Show a number on your phone to name your price
有没有收据？
Yǒu méiyǒu shōujù?
Can I have a receipt?
Ask after purchase — useful for customs and returns
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Frequently Asked Questions
Common shopping questions from visitors
Not at all — in markets and street shops, bargaining is entirely normal and expected. Vendors build negotiation room into their prices from the start. What would be rude is agreeing to a price and then not buying, or trying to bargain at a fixed-price store like a supermarket or chain retailer.
If the price is dramatically below what you'd expect to pay for a branded item, it's almost certainly a replica. Common fakes include luxury bags, watches, electronics, sports clothing, and branded trainers. The quality of fakes varies enormously — some are near-perfect, others fall apart quickly. Buying knowingly for personal use is a grey area; attempting to bring quantities through customs or resell them is illegal.
In large malls, international hotels, and luxury stores — yes. In markets, street shops, small restaurants, and most everyday retail — no. Alipay or WeChat Pay linked to your foreign card is the most practical solution for day-to-day shopping. See our Money guide for setup instructions.
From reputable stores and official brand outlets, yes — and often at better prices than at home. From markets or unofficial vendors, quality can be very inconsistent. Check that voltage is compatible with your home country (China uses 220V/50Hz), and that devices have the right plug or that you have an adapter. Some electronics bought in China may have firmware in Chinese only.
Yes — international shipping from China is well-developed and relatively affordable. Major courier services (DHL, FedEx, SF Express) operate from most cities. Larger purchases from malls can often be shipped directly by the store. Factor in customs duties in your home country on the total value shipped.
It depends on what you're after. Beijing is best for antiques, traditional crafts, and tea. Shanghai is unbeatable for tailored clothing, designer brands, and contemporary fashion. Shenzhen's Huaqiangbei electronics market is unrivalled for gadgets and components. Guangzhou and Yiwu are best for wholesale buying. Every city has its own specialty street worth exploring.