What to Buy in Suzhou

There are quite a lot of unique thing for tourists to buy as tourist souvenirs or gifts in Suzhou. What to buy in Suzhou is highly recommended? Bi Luo Chun Tea, silk products, Su embroidery, writing brushes are specific things to buy. Those things contain unique Chinese culture and history of China, so they are quire interesting.

Silk

As a city famous for its silk products for a quite long time, Suzhou is one of the best places to purchase silk handicrafts, such as Suzhou Silk Fan, silk embroidery, silk clothing. Shiquan Street is good place to shop, especially for all kinds of souvenirs. The Silk Embroidery Institute is a great company producing silk goods in high quality, which you can see on a tour of the facility. The gift shop there is selling products in a little bit high price than those at the street stalls, but they can bargain and the quality is much better than at the street stalls.

Silk

Bi Luo Chun Tea

Besides Hangzhou, Suzhou is another hometown for Chinese tea culture. And one of the most famous teas named Bi Luo Chun can be found in this city. It is locally known as "Fearful Incense" due to the strong aroma of the brew!

During the Qing dynasty, Emperor Kangxi visited Suzhou and praised the flavor of this aromatic tea. The tea leaves are picked from the Biluo Mountain near Tai Lake, and are collected traditionally in early spring between what is known as "Tomb-sweeping Day" and "Grain Rain Day"!

Bi Luo Chun, green and curly leaves of spring in Chinese, is the second prized green tea only after Dragon Well.

Bi Luo Chun Tea

Su Embroidery

The excellent handicraft of Su embroidery makes it become an international good and be welled loved by people all over the world.

Su embroidery is one of the four major styles of Chinese Embroidery. Vivid depictions of animals, people, landscapes and flowers are popular themes of Su embroidery. Traditional embroidery is blended with fashionable contemporary elements, yielding a style of embroidery that is appreciated by both Chinese people and foreigners.

Su Embroidery

Suzhou Writing Brush

Suzhou is a hometown for many brilliant writers in the ancient time. And during that time, all the people wrote articles by writing brushes. So the special writing brush that is now associated with Suzhou and gradually became popular in Jiangsu Province. These brushes are used in the expert art of calligraphy. The Huzhou brush uses only the finest raw materials and expert technology in production.

There are some gorgeous calligraphy sets available throughout China and Suzhou is a good place to purchase one. Most of the souvenir shops stock them and there are usually some at the city Night Market near the Temple of Mystery.

Suzhou Writing Brush

Tao Hua Wu Woodcut New Year Pictures

Tao Hua Wu Woodcut New Year Pictures, Tianjin Yangliuqiu Woodcut New Year pictures and are Yang Jia Bu New Year pictures in Weifang City, Shandong Province are selected as "Top 3 China's woodcut New Year pictures". Tao Hua Wu Woodcut New Year Pictures began to appear in the late Ming dynasty, it has a history of over hundreds of years. The earliest factory in located in Tao Hua Wu Street in suzhou, that how it got its name. During the reign of Emperor Yongzheng and Qianlong, it became quite popular. The Woodcut New Year Pictures reflect the folk life at ancient time. They can be hang at home with decorative function.

Tao Hua Wu Woodcut New Year Pictures

Tips for Shopping in Suzhou

If you are thinking of purchasing craft and arts items, silks, teas, or other things that are some kind of pricy, it will be advantageous to be accompanied by a local Chinese-speaking tour guide, ideally a Suzhou local who is familiar with the goods and markets. A lot of superior hotels could provide the services of a personal assistant. Also, you can try asking to one of the local travel-related companies to get in touch with a friendly local person with some free time. Informed Chinese assistant can make large difference on the cost and quality of the products you are buying. As with anywhere in China, bargaining is always normal. Actually, you can save a substantial of money by bargaining.

Guanqian Street, Shilu Commercail Street, Nanmen Commercail Center, Shiquan Street, Fengqiao Street and Nanhao Street are all highly recommended shopping places to buy things mentioned above.