Shopping
There are abundant shopping options in Yunnan. Many travellers find that the easiest places to shopare the large department stores as the quality is usually good, they have fixed prices, and they will replace any defective items. Shopping in markets can be cheaper, but requires bargaining skills. Check prices in the big stores before setting out. Few vendors speak any English, so a calculator can come in handy.
Some village communities are the source of thriving cottage industries exist, and many attractive handcrafted items can be found during travels to the rural areas and among ethnic minorities. There are also government tourist centres selling a variety of handicrafts, and many silk shops will make clothes to order.
Jewels and Jades: Kunming, Ruili, Yingjiang and Manshi are well-established centres for precious stones and jades from Myanmar. Kunming in particular has a number of shops offering a large selection. Chinese master jade carvers are recognised as among the finest in the world.
Pearls: Pearls are a good buy in Yunnan, and a wide selection of individual strands are available. Shops will fasten a clasp to make a necklace.
Yunnan Bronze: There are many beautifully crafted bronze items that are cast using special techniques dating back hundreds of years. This technical skill has won Yunnan’s craftsmen international recognition.
Embroidery: This skill occupies an important position in Chinese arts and crafts, and dates back thousands of years. It is an extraordinary skill, and the exquisite double-faced pieces require the artist to use micro-thin filaments to conceal the ends and joints so that the picture on both sides appears flawless. The most precious and expensive pieces feature different colours on each side, and there are countless different designs and qualities.
Dai Brocade: Beautifully spun and woven by the Dai people into bags, skirts and other decorative items, this folk art makes a nice souvenir.
Teak Carving: Yunnan is famous and gifted wood carvers, and there is a wide choice of teakwood items from which to choose including many in the form of animals and birds.
Cloisonne: This exquisite enamelware features designs and colours that are separated by thin metal strips. Cloisonné requires bronze, porcelain, painting and etching skills, and represents one of the highest forms of traditional Chinese handicrafts. There are many attractive pieces available including jewellery, chopsticks, boxes, and other decorative items.
Lacquerware: These items are decorative and durable, and many attractive pieces can be found including carved and inlaid with mother-of-pearl.
Chess: Yunnan has been making Chess sets with their five hundred-year-old history and elegant black and white pieces make a nice souvenir.
Dali Marble Pieces: Carved from the abundant and beautiful marble found at Dali, there are many unusual and decorative items from which to choose.
Chinese Medicines: With its varied climate and topography, Yunnan is rich in medicinal plants and herbs, and Kunming shops stock a wide variety of locally manufactured traditional medicines including White Powder: a well-known Chinese patent medicine, effective for invigorating blood circulation and treating inflammation.
Tea: With an industry dating back 1,700 years, Yunnan tea is one of the world’s finest, and available as green tea, jade green tea, mixed tea, Xuanchun tea, Hongbao and Yinzhen tea. The scented varieties include smoked, white orchid, and the popular jasmine tea.