Shopping and Bargaining
Let’s talk about friendship stores and department stores first. Friendship stores are basically just government run department stores, and the prices are usually a bit higher. You do not bargain in most department stores or friendship stores. In order to buy something you tell (or pantomime to) the person working there that you want to buy it. They will write it up on a four part form and give you three parts. You then go around the store deciding what you want and having people write things up that you want to buy. When you are done shopping and have a handful of forms, you find the cashier and give her the forms, the cashier will tell you how much you owe and take your money. She (or he) will then stamp the forms and give two parts of each form back to you. You then go back and find the people who wrote the items up for you, hand them the stamped forms and they will match them up with what they wrote and give you the items and one part of the form. There is a lot of stamping and stapling that happens during this process.
When you buy something from a street vendor or from a small store you almost always bargain for the price. Most of the time the price is not marked and you have to ask – if this is the case then know that you are going to have to bargain. It is part of the whole China experience, and you’ll have a lot more fun if you can really get into the bargaining process and not see it as a drudgery.
In my experience, the general rule when bargaining is to offer somewhere around 20 to 30 percent of what the price is and then bargain yourself to a maximum of somewhere under half of what they are asking. If something is 100 yuan then offer 20 or 25 or 30 yuan (depending on how aggressive you want to be) and expect to pay at the most about 40 or 45 yuan. It is usually possible to be really aggressive and bargain your way down farther to about 30 or 35 Yuan, but it takes a while, and for me it’s just not worth standing there an extra five minutes to save ten yuan (about a dollar and a quarter). For more expensive items I’ll do it, or if I happen to have the time and want the challenge I might, but most of the time when I’m shopping I just want to buy this so I can get to the next thing and buy that, too. Just remember to always offer them less than what you want to pay, they need to be able to come back at you with a higher price from whatever you offer.
For something that is very cheap I usually just pull out about half what they are asking and say how much it is as I hold it out, if they retort something higher I shrug my shoulders and move to put the money away as I turn to walk away and they always grab the money from me as I’m doing it. I know I could easily bargain it down even more, but if it’s two dollars to start with and I offer them a dollar do I really want to bargain it down to seventy five cents? Not really.
When shopping I always have a small amount of yuan in a pocket (50 to 150 yuan in fives and tens) that I can reach into easily, but that if it is pick pocketed it’s not the end of the world. I also have more yuan (several hundred) in an area that would be very hard for a pickpocket to get to (an inside pocket of a jacket, for instance). And then I have more money in a waist pouch that I only get into while I’m in a bathroom stall, so the pickpockets don’t see me pulling money out of it. RK does the same thing, so between us we can usually buy something expensive without needing to make a trip to the bathroom. When we start running low on funds we just go to the bathroom and pull more money out.
You’ll get farther with bargaining if they think that is truly all you are going to pay. You cannot be wishy washy, you must be firm. Nice, but firm. You also get farther by pulling out what you are willing to pay and holding it out at them and saying how much it is (which of course you can only do if you learn to say the numbers in Mandarin). But, again, once you are within about ten yuan of where you want to be then remember that you are haggling over a dollar. It’s easy to get into the energy of the bargaining process and forget that.
Everywhere I have shopped where bargaining takes place the shopkeeper has had a calculator with big buttons and big numbers that they show you the amount on. You then hit the clear button and punch in what you want to pay. They will hit the clear button and punch in their next price. And you keep going back and forth until one of you says that is okay. There is really no need to take a calculator for this, the shopkeepers will have them.
Never start the bargaining process if you are not going to buy the item. Never state a price you will pay unless you are prepared to pay that amount. Stating a price is almost like signing a contract saying you are prepared to pay at least that much. It is taken very seriously. If you cannot agree on a price then you can walk away, but expect them to grab you and pull you back for more bargaining if that is the case. One time, when bargaining for Jade, I walked away expecting them to pull me back and they did not, so they don’t always do it, but most of the time they do.
You can almost always get a better bargain if you are buying a lot of stuff. If you have several people in your travel group wanting the same thing (like pearls, or jade bracelets) then if you can all go in together and have one person bargaining on behalf of everyone you will get a much better price than if you were to all buy them separately.
Most of the shopkeepers will understand enough English to get the idea of what you and your husband are saying to each other. Most will not let you know that they can speak any English at all. Do not assume you can talk about how you are going to bargain and you are safe that you won’t be understood. I’ve seen people talk to their husband and say things like “I’m going to offer her 200 yuan but is it okay if I pay her 300?”. That’s really not a good idea. Unless of course that is part of your bargaining strategy (wink wink).
In some areas the street vendors can be quite aggressive. If you say bu yao (Boo like a ghost and Yao like Yao Ming’s name) then you are saying “don’t want” and this will work for some of them. Have your guide help you learn to say “bu yao” and “tai guila” (too expensive, pronounced tie gway luh, but you’ll need help getting the tone and inflection right). I once had a street vendor physically hold me to a wall demanding I buy something from him while all I could get out was BU YAO BU YAO BU YAO. When RK rounded the corner and saw what was going on he managed to get out, in Mandarin, “she said no want” with his face about two inches from the street vendor’s face, they had a five second stare down and the vendor walked away. I have since learned to hold my own even with the street vendors, but it can be scary until you get your legs under you. I’ve also had a vendor working in a stall grab me and try to physically pull me into the stall – I handled that one without needing RK. It really is all in your attitude. Don’t let them intimidate you.
There was a lot of talk yesterday about how to get your purchases home. I am not a fan of packing a lot of consumables that you can buy in China, so I won’t be packing diapers and snacks that will be used up. I’ll carry enough snacks for the plane ride over and the first day or two, but that doesn’t really take up that much room in your luggage. And the Chinese diapers are fine, so again I’ll take enough diapers to last two days just in case we don’t get to a store right away. Same goes for formula, I’ll take enough so we aren’t without, but my intention is to buy formula in China as well.
Since I won’t be taking a lot of consumables that will be used up to make space for souvenirs I will be buying at least one, probably two suitcases while in China. The suitcases that you buy aren’t the best and the handles usually break off before you get them home, but they cost about ten dollars and they do the job of getting your items home. I also pack about ten feet of bubble wrap in my luggage going over because that can be hard to find in China. It’s lightweight and doesn’t take up much room and can come in handy when packing fragile teapots. Yes, you can wrap items in clothing to cushion it, but it’s nice to have the bubble wrap as an extra precaution.
I am playing around with the idea of packing a large travel duffel into our regular luggage this time, it just depends on how much space we have in our luggage. If there is room though, then I will be able to use this almost immediately for extra items we purchase. We will have two checked pieces of luggage, and since we have our older daughter with us we’ll be able to check a third if necessary on the in-China flights.
Someone asked what I plan to buy. I will buy enough kid shoes to last for several years. I plan to buy several tablecloths and probably some placemats as well. We already have more teapots than one family needs, but I’m guessing RK will find another one or two or three that he just has to have. RK will also find tea that he will want to buy as well. I will also need to buy some jade items for my younger daughter so she will have the things my older daughter already has. I think we are good on pearls.
And that’s all that immediately comes to mind, but once I’m there and shopping there will be a lot more things that will come to mind.
January 17th, 2007 at 10:22 am
RQ–
Again, GREAT post. I will copy and give to DH as he is travelling and I am not. But I am quite a shopper so he will have a long list of things to buy. Did you buy “gifts” to give your daughter on her birthday each year? I have heard that people do this. Any suggestions on what they ought to be? It will be hard for the control freak in me to trust that DH gets everything I would want.
Kim
LID 10-08-05
http://www.babyjellybean.com/web/do/site?ID=6022
http://www.3peanuts.blogspot.com
January 17th, 2007 at 10:24 am
Since we all end up in guangzhou as part of our trip, are there certain places/shops there that the BTDT crowd would recommend (and/or those that you would recommend NOT going to)?
When we were there before, we just frequented the little tourist shops on Shamian Island, not much else. (I am also realizing that I probably overpaid for pretty much everything I got, since I really didn’t ‘bargain’ with people. I felt the prices were so low to begin with, relative to america, I was uncomfortable asking to give people even less! But, if that is what they expect you to do, this time, I will definitely do it more!)
January 17th, 2007 at 10:25 am
Wonderful information RQ! My husband and I have enjoyed reading your posts that last several days. Very interesting. Quick question for you. In terms of the street vendors, do they treat you any differently if you have children with you? We plan on traveling with out children ages 10 and 7. Do you find they are less aggressive or more aggressive when children are in the picture? Do they do anything different when children are in the picture? Just curious your thoughts on this. Thanks again for all you do!
January 17th, 2007 at 10:54 am
I have found in my travels (Africa, Asia, central America) that one of my most valuable, dont leave home without it items, is a solar calculator. I use it for bargaining and converting (doing math in my head is not my forte). I’ve found the bargaining is faster when I have my own calculator and it is such a small item that it is worth the room.
And always remember that bargaining is as much about the experience as it is about the shopping. Have fun and never get upset about it. It can be a way to make a new friend even if for a few minutes.
January 17th, 2007 at 10:55 am
When we were in Beijing (Dec 04/Jan 05) I bought several Cashmere scarves to bring back home for my girl friends. They absolutely loved them. I think I bargained them down to $5 American a piece. I was happy with that price. Sometimes I felt so guilty to bargain for things because the Chinese people were so polite to us and our dollar means so much to them. Most Chinese people live off of very little, around $200 US dollars, every month. I did bargain, but I was fair because a dollar to me was just a dollar, I buy a soda in America for that, but an American dollar to them goes so much further. Sometimes after completing a purchase we would give them a tip of one American dollar or some Chinese money. We had to decide if we thought they’d be able to exchange the American money. If we thought they couldn’t easily do so (like someone who works at the hotel would easily be able to exchange the money, a street vendor may not) we would give them Yuan. Anyways, back to the Cashmere, that was one of my favorite things that I brought back and would love to get more next time. I would love to know where I can get Cashmere Sweaters. Does anyone know of any good places in China????
AndreaH
LID 4/5/06
January 17th, 2007 at 10:55 am
We just got back from China the end of November. One thing we did that was helpful, was that we put a smaller suitcase inside of a bigger empty suitcase. We did not have to buy any luggage when we were there, because we had the big empty one. I also recommend making lists of what you want to buy, and what you have bought. It gets very overwhelming, and you feel like you are buying way too much, but now that we are home, we actually wish we had bought more. We also bought quite a few traditional Chinese dresses for the years to come. (along with lots of shoes!) You can buy the squeaky shoes for 25 yuan or less, don’t pay more!!
Hope that helps, too.
Becki
http://www.2china4addison.com
January 17th, 2007 at 11:04 am
Does anyone have a favorite shop for children’s shoes ? I purchased a few pairs in teh SOGO mall in Beijing but they were a little pricey. ( Now by pricey I mean 135 RMB vs. 20RMB. )
January 17th, 2007 at 11:07 am
Ohhhh. I forgot about Jade and pearls. Are the pearls cheaper in China? My DH tried to get me black pearls in Japan a few years ago and he said they were horrendously expensive. He did get me a pendant here, and the guy at the jewlery store said he often had Japanese tourists/businesmen buying black pearls here in America because they are cheaper. On that note, can you get black pearls?
January 17th, 2007 at 11:08 am
Addisonsmom2b, I’m with you Becki. We bought many many many pairs of shoes for Katie. They are light weight, inexpensive and adorable. We returned from China, 11-22-06. jfk
http://www.HelloKatieGirl.com
January 17th, 2007 at 11:11 am
RQ,
When we travelled just over a year ago, many in our group had problems with counterfeit money, especially when dealing with street vendors. I think it might be worth mentioning as it is not something we deal with here on a regular basis but can be quite prevalent in China.
Mom to Lily
January 17th, 2007 at 11:18 am
Yes, counterfeit money can be a problem – try to use something close to exact change when buying things or when paying cab fare so you don’t get large bills back as change from them.
Also, it’s usually easiest to exchange your hundred dollar bills for yuan at your hotel. You can also go to a bank to do it, but most of the hotels will do it for you.
January 17th, 2007 at 11:19 am
I found that Beijing had a wider variety of silks and jewlelry but Guangzhou had better prices. Squeaky shoes were def. better priced in Guangzhou.
Counterfeit money was a problem only in Guangzhou, especially with cabs- use small bills.
That at least was our experience last spring.
January 17th, 2007 at 11:31 am
Andrea H, I love the idea of cashmere scarves. Do you remember where you bought them? I never even thought of that for gifts when we were there before…great idea!
January 17th, 2007 at 11:55 am
Buy a few squeaky shoes but really stock up on the good quality leather ones – the glue on the cloth ones gets a little messed up and the squeak is only for “sometimes” in my opinion!
Other advice I received from a Chinese friend was that you CAN bargain in most (many?) Dept stores even where it looks like you wouldn’t – so I would try the “Tai Gui Le” there too!
PJM
Who will buy two pairs of child leather shoes in EVERY size up to Kindergarten at least! I will also hope to get a silk-filled quilt if I can fit it in, some “jadeite” – it may not be real but if you still like it for the price, buy it. If you can’t tell others won’t be able to either.
January 17th, 2007 at 12:09 pm
HELP!!!!!
Would anyone be willing to make a big list of all the things us newbies should be looking for while in CHina (must haves) because they are so much cheaper. Also the things that are future keepsakes for our daughters. I just feel while reading this thread and the one yesterday an overall feeling of confusion. I dont want to get home and wish I would have bought things I passed on. So, PLEASE PLEASE PLESE will one of you BTDT people make a list of the items that are must haves in China. Maybe you can put it in the Forum under general discussion.
Here are the categories I am interested in:
1. Keepsakes- things I will want to give Mia for years to come. Dresses, jade all that stuff.
2. Clothing- clothes and shoes that are a lot cheaper in CHina that we should buy while there.
3. THings for us parents that are great deals in China
4. Items for siblings at home (I have boys 6 and 8)
5. Gifts for family that are good deals.
I really appreciate you BTDT people and the advise you can give. If someone can make a list I would really appreciate it and will print it out for our trip.
THanks a lot,
Christy
10-17-05
http://www.bock.redthreadkids.org
January 17th, 2007 at 12:17 pm
RQ I have heard terrible things about the diapers in China and how sometimes the tabs are missing and that they are leaky and very poor quality. Did you use the diapers there on your first trip? I am certinly thinking of getting my formula there but the diapers I am a little shaky on.
January 17th, 2007 at 12:25 pm
Just an FYI:
I compiled a “Traveling with Toddlers” guide and an ultimate China packing list which can be found at
http://www.emkpress.com
You have to register, but your info isn’t used for anything, and then you have free access to all of EMK’s wonderful guides (attachment, homeland tours, sleep issues, etc.).
Neither I nor EMK Press profit from the guide. I compiled it after sharing tips with our FCC waiting families, and one of the EMK authors who is in our FCC chapter asked if the tips could be edited into a guide. I’m just sharing it to help other adoption travelers.
Hope this info is in compliance with forum etiquette–I think it might be very helpful for some families.
January 17th, 2007 at 12:26 pm
With the street vendors, have exact change. One problem was in exchanging at hotels, the clerks were tight with the smaller denominations, 10s and 20s. In Guangzhoa, I would go to the 7-11 and buy one water or soda to break the 100s. Take out what you are willing to pay, and then walk away if refused.
And again, dads, take a walk around the shops with child and leave mom at hotel…I got my best bargains then.
January 17th, 2007 at 12:26 pm
RQ, I’m wondering how your entourage is going to survive while you are in China :) What will everyone one do for three weeks without you?? What is the fate of this site once you have your little one home?
January 17th, 2007 at 12:29 pm
Our guide in Changsha taught us how to use hand signals to bargain. It was such a hoot when the shop keeper said 10 and I signed 6. She said “oooohhh” and we both burst out laughing. Here is a link to a site to view the hand signals if you’re interested:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_number_gestures#Images
VJ
LID 9//29/05
January 17th, 2007 at 12:30 pm
The diapers are probably the equivalent of what was available here ten or fifteen years ago. They are a touch thinner but they hold up just fine. Some people prefer to take enough diapers to use on travel days. If we get to the store on the first day then the diapers we take will be used on travel days. If we don’t get to the store right away then we’ll be using Chinese diapers on travel days.
If we have spare room in our luggage I’ll fill in the space with extra diapers. But I honestly don’t foresee a lot of spare room in our luggage.
January 17th, 2007 at 12:32 pm
Ok,
PLease bare with me….what is the deal on the shopping? Are the kids shoes just so nice you have to buy several…what is with the jade and pearls. I am not a shopper here in the U.S. and am wondering as weird as this sounds…what’s the appeal of shopping overseas…I understand buying gifts for special people like who will be keeping our kids when we travel, and I understand some authentic Chinese items like silk pajamas for our little girl….but why all the extra shopping: It seems like a hassel worrying about getting it all back. Someone fill me in please.
January 17th, 2007 at 12:33 pm
Forgot to mention that we got chops for a lot of folks back home and they loved them. We’ll do that again. Did anyone get the etchings done in Guangzhou? We didn’t before but thought we’d try that this time. Our oldest won’t be traveling with us – can they make a composite picture from two pics?
VJ
LID 9/29
January 17th, 2007 at 12:41 pm
Why shop?
How about a silk tablecloth with 6 coordinating silk placemats for the equivalent of about $8?
How about buying 20 pairs of good quality kids leather shoes and sandals and paying a total of about $45 for them all?
Or buying a dozen strands of good quality pearls for less than $250 for all of them total?
I’m sure there are people who go to China and don’t succumb to the incredible prices. But I am not one of them.
January 17th, 2007 at 12:56 pm
composite from two pics – yes they can, my firiend had it done.
Why shop? It is incredible to touch things and have all the memories come back. I usually buy a few every day items – got a ladle in Chongqing – and when I use it I always remember that day!
PJM
10/26/05
January 17th, 2007 at 1:05 pm
Great info.RQ,thanks so much for shareing all this,heck with all this great info.who needs rumors….LOL
January 17th, 2007 at 1:05 pm
I have to put in my .02 about shopping in China. We were on Shamian Island for 13 days in November. I did not purchase one single thing for the first eight days. What I DID do was go to just about every single store to see what their merchandise was — it can be very similar in most of the stores, and ask prices for the things I was interested in. I also took note of how the salespeople worked, if they were TOO pushy and followed me around waiting for my eye to light on something and then started yakking about it, I didn’t go back (I just can’t stand that).
I also took business cards from any store I for which I was interested in returning, and asked the salesperson’s name each time. I’d say to them, “so if I come back and say that “Judy” said this item was 85 Yuan, that will be the price in three days…” I made notes on some of the cards, and kept a small notebook for other stores (mostly when they didn’t give out cards). By the time I actually started buying things, I felt pretty confident that I was getting a reasonably good deal, or at least dealing with reasonably honest people. I cannot stand to be lied to (and by lie I mean dis-honest selling practices), so when I found out I was, I just left and didn’t go back, ever.
BTW, the shoe thing: there are well made squeeky shoes and not-so-well made shoes. The well made ones are worth the $4-$5 USD you’ll pay (and the squeekers come out!), and I bought several pair in many sizes, mostly for dressy/Church occasions. There’s just something about a little girl with Mary Jane shoes — way too cute!
I have LOTS of other advice, but probably it’s better for the forum. Maybe I’ll head over there and see if there’s a “shopping” thread, and if not, start one.
Gotta run, someone’s waking up from her nap!
January 17th, 2007 at 1:06 pm
We did the etchings! I would think they could do it for you if you brought the pictures to them. They try really hard to get business, so I’m sure they will accomodate.
January 17th, 2007 at 1:18 pm
What are chops and what are etchings?
January 17th, 2007 at 1:21 pm
A guy we know was in China last year for business….Shanghai I think. I forget. Anyway, he got INCREDIBLE deals on silk material that he bought home for his wife to have made into dresses. He said it was way cheap. So there is something else to think about while there–bolts of material. I may do that and then have dresses and what not made for her as she grows.
January 17th, 2007 at 1:22 pm
Okay, just returned home two weeks ago (second trip/adoption) from China and here are my deals that I would love to share with you:
Guangzhou has a great mall that sells mostly pearls. There are oodles of shops that are selling pearls, pearls and more pearls. The mall is about 15 minutes from Shamian Isl. and we took a cab ($1 each way!). Your guide should know what I’m talking about. So here is the deal there; bargain, bargain, bargain. The pearls will come on a strand about 18″ long and you can have them make anything you want with it. I took several different strands, different colors, and made bracelets, necklaces and earings. In total for that shopping trip, I bought
2 black 20″ necklaces/bracelets/earings,
2 pink 20″ necklaces/bracelets/earings,
2 white 20″ necklaces/bracelets/earings,
2 muli colored 22″ (white and pink) necklaces/bracelets/earings. All for about $75 !!!
Yes, they are real pearls and absolutely beautiful… When I entered the shop, I told them that we (there were 5 of us moms there, ready to shop) wanted pearls and lots of them and we wanted good prices. Of course we were as nice as could be :-) It was such fun to sit and pick out these pearls and have them make anything you wanted right in front of you. All the clasp/hardware was free. Most of the strands were about 30RMB each (about $3.75). The most expensive strand I bought was 110RMB (about $13.75).
Also, we had a charcoal etching done of our two girls, it is so nice and we only paid about $10 for it. We had it done at “Susan’s Place” on Shamian Island. It is on the road that faces the entrance to the White Swan. They also do laundry there, very cheap and quick…the shop is run by a husband and wife (Dong and Susan) and they are very nice to deal with.
Lastly, we purchased several of the hand painted scrolls (for ourselves and friends). You can find them everywhere and they are all sizes, beautifully done and they will put them in a box for you (easy to pack). I hung ours up last week and am so happy with it. Ours is called “winter in the mountains” and it will always remind us of our trip. These scrolls will run anywhere from $5 to $30 depending on the size and store.
Just remember to always be polite when bargaining, have a great time and don’t worry about weather it will all fit…just buy another cheap suitcase to get it home :-)
January 17th, 2007 at 1:34 pm
A chop is an ornately carved stone (stamp) that has a personalized stamp on one end and are used as a stamp on a document, letter, etc. My daughter was born year of the horse so we have a chop that has horses carved into the stone portion and her name in pinyin and chinese characters on the stamp pad. They come with an ink pad and are small and easy to pack. Made great gifts.
The etchings are in stone (marble?) and the artists use photographs to work from. Also pretty small and portable.
January 17th, 2007 at 1:55 pm
Man, I just blew my last email away. Anyhow, here is a site that has good pix of chops (I’m not advertising for these folks – just thought you might want to see what they look like.)
Also, last time our guide had a man do a poem scroll in grass writing using our daughter’s name. It is awesome and we want to get one for our next daughter. It was in Guangzhou and the artist delivered it to our hotel room at the White Swan. It was all done through the guide – not a shop. Has anyone has this done in the recent past? Our last trip was over 3 years ago and we won’t have the same guide (different agency).
9-29
January 17th, 2007 at 2:00 pm
When we were in China we were told not to say bu yao as it was considered rude and disrespectful. Instead we where told to say xie-xie (Shay-shay – Thank You – which in that context meant NO Thank You). I found it VERY effective even in the old Silk Alley in Beijing. All the high pressured sales people would back off – some times you had to say it twice but that was about it – even those street vendors. Xie-xie and they left you alone. We did encounter some people saying bu yao quite often and it didn’t seem very effective for them. That’s just my experience – I’m sure every one who has BTDT will have a different story.
January 17th, 2007 at 2:10 pm
I couldn’t help but laugh at this thread. We traveled in May of 2005 and I simply could not take the street vendors in Beijing so another lady in our travel group purchased a few things for me. She LOVED the whole bargaining thing. I couldn’t take the pushy-ness or how close they would get.
Anyway, it was much better in GZ and I even branched out and tried some bargaining. I”m sure I still paid more than most, but I was okay with that. The night before we left we headed out for one more shopping expedition to use up the remaining yuan we had. We came across the best shop that somehow we had completely overlooked. I had picked out several things, dh did the bargaining and we were getting ready to pay out when I noticed a silk jacket that I wanted for our daughter. The lady saw me and encouraged me to buy it and I told her we had just spent the last of our yuan. I handed some things back to her to exchange for the jacket. She handed me the jacket, smiled really big and waved us out the door! I thought that was really sweet of her because she knew we were getting ready to leave, but my reasonable side knows we had probably not bargained well enough on the other things :-)
I know one thing, next time I will certainly try the things the RQ noted, I’m sure it would help a lot!
January 17th, 2007 at 2:20 pm
- I have a place in Guangzhou (off the island) that we bought pearls at and were very happy with them. I spent about $65 for a 16-inch necklace. I would post the info here, but I am not sure if that is considered commercial. So you can email me at clustertp@hotmail.com if you want the info.
- Regarding diapers, we bought Pampers in China and they seemed the same as the ones back in the U.S.
- For those contemplating taking an empty suitcase, one of the families in our travel group took two and had trouble getting though security when we arrived in Bejing. It wasn’t a big deal, but they did have to have their bags searched by hand and answer a few questions. Probably took 5 minutes.
January 17th, 2007 at 2:25 pm
Okay, I’ll add my two cents, for what it’s worth.
We spent 13 days on Shamian Island in November. I did not buy one single thing for the first eight days. What I did do was browse almost all of the stores (I’m sure I missed some) and noted their merchandise, how the salespeople acted — I cannot standy pushy salespeople who follow me around, so if they were like that, I didn’t go back, period. I figured out what merchandise I wanted and would check prices at each of the stores I went to. If someone quoted a really good price, I would ask for a business card and the person’s name, then I’d say, “okay, if I come back in three days and say “Judy” said the _______ costs ______Yuan, then that’s what I’ll be able to buy it for, right?” I made notes on the business card (or in a little notebook or on a scrap paper if I was really interested in some item there.
Like RQ, I didn’t quibble over small amounts. If something was 5 yuan more than another store, I might say, “oh, the same thing is XX yuan across the street” but if they didn’t lower the price (assuming the weren’t pushy salespeople and I really wanted that item), I’d pay the extra 5 yuan.
If I knew someone was lying to me, I left their store. Dis-honesty is something I have a really hard time with, so I just left. I once had a gal tell me a beautifully embroidered jacket was hand embroidered by her grandmother, but lamented that it wasn’t the right size…then one of her co-workers came out with brand new, still in plastic, IDENTICAL embroidered jackets — about six of them — to tell me they could find the right size for me. Boy was the original salesgirl steamed at her co-worker! I just said “no thank you” and left the store, and didn’t return.
I could go on and on about the things to buy in China. Maybe this is a better item for the forum. Maybe I’ll start a thread…
BTW, the Chinese green Pampers work as well as any American brand diaper. I wouldnt’ pack any snacks at all (except for the trip over, because all your favorite snacks are easily available in Guangzhou). The squeeky shoes are way too cute (sans squeekers!) and nothing looks cuter on a little girl than Mary Jane shoes IMHO! I bought several pair of the good quality leather ones, different sizes, mostly for dress up and Church they were about $4-5 USD, and you couldn’t get similar quality here for the same money.
January 17th, 2007 at 2:29 pm
tripleH~ I have not been to China (yet) but have many friends who have. And, they said the prices are incredible, as RQ mentioned. And I agree with you RQ, I am not one of those people either! I can’t wait to get my hands on those shoes, dresses, jewelry, and gifts!
Jessa
January 17th, 2007 at 2:43 pm
I have a question. What is it with “squeaky shoes”? What is so special about them and why does everyone want them. I just don’t know what they are and can’t understand why any parent who wants to keep their sanity would be squeaky shoes for their child. Please help me understand.
Thanks.
K
January 17th, 2007 at 2:54 pm
When we were going around shopping, I used my travel pouch that fit around my neck to carry my money. I kept it inside my shirt so that if someone wanted it, they would have to literally hold me down and pull my shirt up to get to any money I had. It was deep enough I could have tons of money in it and they’d never actually know what I had.
I will say this about jade in China. If you want the best quality of jade (A grade, meaning it hasn’t been treated in any way), you will only find it in the expensive shops. A very small piece will be extremely costly (think size of a dime and $250 U.S. dollars) It won’t be sold by street vendors. Many of the street vendors sell B or C grade jade, although not all. And one would not always be able to tell just by looking – but if the price sounds too good for what you are getting, it’s probably treated jade (treated so it is a bright apple green or emerald green, or a very deep purple – the colors most sought after).
The pearls are freshwater pearls… not cultured pearls from the ocean. So go with the expectation that they will not be perfectly round nor will they be worth as much as the Mikimoto or Akoya pearls. However, they will be beautiful.
Keepsake items I bought or will buy the next time we go:
An authentic teapot – find something that has special meaning for your adoption or for you. The one we got for our daughter (traditional clay teapot) had a cicada on the top (we went in 2004 and it was the 17 year cicada cycle in Indiana – couldn’t hear yourself think during the day) plus it had a plum blossom branch that was the handle – with plum blossoms on the side of the teapot coming off the branch where it attached to the teapot itself (our daughter’s name was Yan Mei, or Gorgeous/Glamorous Plum Blossom).
Chops – a wonderful item that had her name on it. Got some for friends, too.
Chopsticks – buy a lot of different kinds – very inexpensive.
Fans – there are paper fans, silk fans, sandalwood fans etc. Buy all the different kinds you can.
Calligraphy set: I’d buy this next time – was stupid not to do it the first time.
Silk wall hangings/pillow case covers/purses: If you like it, buy it. You won’t find it here in the U.S.
Cloisonne items
Bought a beautiful beaded purse for her in a ladybug design. I intensly dislike the ladybug theme, but this was the only beaded purse they had and it was beautifully done.
Buy Chinese children books. We bought lots of them. Also bought Chinese kits to learn chinese via tapes and books – made for young children around age 6+.
Silk baby quilts… can be made at several of the stores on Shamian Island in the colors you prefer.
If you have the money – go to one of the nicer department stores and buy some 24K gold items – rings or pendants or chains. It’s gorgeous! I had a ring with Chinese blessings on it, plus a pendant that had an intricate design of a dragon and phoenix, plus Chinese blessings on the reverse. It will make an awesome keepsake to hand down to our daughter.
I’m sure there will be other items that will thrill once you get there… but these are the things I treasured most.
January 17th, 2007 at 2:58 pm
This is a great thread! Something to take our minds of the difficult wait and not so good news lately – nice to engage in something other than discouraging news and anticipation to wait and wait some more!
We love to travel (been all over the world) and everywhere we go we shop and enjoy the experience and culture. We always bring something back from every trip as a rememberance of our trip. Even in Ireland, with weak US$, we enjoyed interacting with locals and found sevearl unique items. Mexico is always fun – I love the whole hassel, heckel, and dealing – it is so much fun!
I can’t wait to shop in China – this may be a once in a lifetime trip for us and I plan to bring back as much as I can (especially considering the value). I appreciate all of your suggestions and will be adding shoes, pearls, jade, cloths, scarfs, and etc. to our list!
Thanks RQ for starting a fun topic – it was pleasurable to engage in something out of the ordinary / disappointing things we are used to!
Megi
PS I encourage eveyone to go out and about while in China – I refuse to stay coooped up in a hotel room the entire time!
January 17th, 2007 at 3:02 pm
waiting4kjk2~ I think (I could be totally wrong) that people really like the squeaky shoes because the babies really love them, and they’re adorable! My friend used them to get her 14 month old daughter, who was not walking yet, to encourage her to try. The sound made her want to walk, and she learned in China! They are also extremely cheap, and a novelty, they don’t sell a lot of these in the U.S. If you are worried about the squeaking getting on your nerves, I have heard that they also sell a lot of quality children’s leather shoes for good prices too!
Jessa
January 17th, 2007 at 3:04 pm
Just a note that the pearls in Beijing are the round ones we are used to seeing.
In GZ most of them are freshwater.
January 17th, 2007 at 3:12 pm
We were able to buy round pearls in GZ, and they look like what I am used to seeing. I think they are also freshwater. They were definitely NOT Japanese pearls, which are the top of the line.
January 17th, 2007 at 3:20 pm
waiting4kjk2 – Squeaky shoes just that, little kids shoes that squeak when your child walks. We bought several pair but our daughter did not like them at all. However, it wasn’t just sqeeky shoes – it was any shoe!
We ended up handing them down to a friend’s daughter and I had a mutual friend of ours make me promise not to buy any more when we return. Apparently the “squeek” aggravated the bejabbers out of everyone at our sons ballgames! LOL.
January 17th, 2007 at 3:24 pm
RQ: Our pearls from GZ were both round and freshwater. The necklace I have looks like your classic pearl necklace. However, they were NOT Japanese pearls, which are top of the line.
January 17th, 2007 at 3:28 pm
when we were shopping for pearls in GZ we were told that the round pearls that we bought were also freshwater. the shopkeeper took out strands of various grades of pearls and showed us how their highest grade strand was made up of pearls chosen to be a round as possible. to me they looked perfectly spherical. not sure why that particularly matters but it was an interesting lesson.
hearing what RQ paid for her pearls though makes me feel like I really paid too much. i am such a sucker though for being told that there are X numbers of levels of quality. once i know that I can only buy the highest. usually i can’t even tell the difference. this is the reason that i rarely shop – i just wear “sucker” on my shoulder.
however some of my favorite pearls were the “mother” pearls which were often rectangular, bumpy and quite quite large. i have a friend who makes jewelry and i wish i had brought some home for her. similarly when we were at the fabric market we came across stalls selling yarns of all so many wonderful types – the kinds that are too expensive to buy back home. if you have a friend who knits or sews the fabric market is wonderful.
for those people who are going to be in GZ for a while you can go to the upstairs level of the market (really is just a mall made up of hundreds of fabric shops) and have clothes/suits made for a fraction of the cost home. you pick out the wool cloth (for example) from hundreds of bolts and then can show them what type of suit you want from a catalog. we did not do this ourselves but my male coworkers have several suits made for them each time they are in GZ.
if you want shoes other than the squeaky kind (which give me a migraine just to look at) you have to pretty much head of shaiman island. the prices will be higher but still a great deal.
January 17th, 2007 at 3:28 pm
waiting4kjk2, the squeaky shoes are children’s shoes that have squeakers inside. When your daughter/son walks, the shoe makes a squeaky sound. Not all of the shoes are squeakers, they run around $2 US. The ones we bought (about 20 pair) are good solid shoes. We bought different sizes for our daughter (next year winter/summer). Our children grown fast. Take a good look at the shoe’s quality. We bought our shoes mainly in GZ, not Beijing. We didn’t care for the shopping areas in Beijing, just our experience. Best wishes. jfk
http://www.HelloKatieGirl.com
January 17th, 2007 at 3:29 pm
I loved shopping in China and really brought home lots of treasures. One shop I really liked was ” A Gift From China” , Guangzhou’s First Charity Store. The reason I liked this store is it had different items than all the stores which really carried the same thing and each item you buy has a message that the money for this item supports children throughout China.
The items are a little more money but better quality.
I also enjoyed silk alley and got some high quality Louis Vuitton for very cheap. Comparing pieces with some original bags I have they are hard to tell apart.
Does any one have any knowledge on shipping items from China? I wanted to purchase some items that were too large to pack.
January 17th, 2007 at 3:31 pm
To those who seem overwhelmed or confused about all the “shopping” talk, don’t worry. Although our guide took us to a department store in our “match” city, the fun shopping was in Guangzhou. There are many, many, many small shops around the hotel. It’s fun, easy, and not to be feared. I’m not much of a shopper, but it was fun. We didn’t bargain at all (prices were soooo dang low anyway), and most of our fun was from talking to really neat shop owners. The clothes are wonderful, cheap, and very durable. The squeaky shoes are wonderful because they are cheap, durable, and fun. I didn’t buy enough of them, but found this wonderful website here in the states. I’ve used it a lot…
http://www.angelcovers.org/products.html
As for the diapers in China…I wish I had a 2-year supply. I liked them a lot better than anything here in the States.
Oh, and one more note…we’ve been home for 2 years. I’m still trying to figure out the reason we “just had to have” chops (don’t flame me). So far, my favorite things (other than clothes and shoes for baby) are the embroidery pieces, the “fake” jade, and the little Chinese decorative umbrella and lantern. Can’t believe we didn’t buy chopsticks.
January 17th, 2007 at 3:32 pm
Sorry about the similiar posts up there, the first one disappeared so I wrote a second one.
We bought pearls, jade and porcelain at the government store, in Guangzhou because we wanted better quality. All the rest of our souveniers we bought on the island (except for the knives, which we bought in our daughter’s hometown, famous for it’s knife making).
I also wondered, before we went, about the squeeky shoes. I have to say that the first thing I did with our daughter’s shoes was reamove he squeekers, but the shoes are darling so I bought them. The squeekers, by the way, are cute when baby ‘accidentally’ makes the squeek sound — they’re supposed to encourage walking (when you step, you make a cool sound), but when you’ve got a child who has the hang of walking wearing them –especially in the marble White Swan hotel, where EVERY sound echoes — I wanted to rip out other children’s squeekers as well! They aren’t cute if the kid can really walk!
January 17th, 2007 at 3:34 pm
What are these “squeaky shoes” everyone keeps writing about?
Thanks.
LID 10/11/05
January 17th, 2007 at 3:57 pm
I have a question about luggage to take home all this wonderful stuff. If the US carriers allow you to check 2 bags–and I notice some have said they travel to china with a small bag in an empty larger suitcase (great idea)– but then the in China airlines allow only one bag–what do you do with that extra bag? just pay the additional fee to check the bag? I’m thinking of the flight from guangzhou to hong kong. From hong kong the US carriers would be available. Sorry to be so long but I’ve actually wondered about this for awhile
January 17th, 2007 at 3:58 pm
i so wish i had known you could take the squeaky out!
January 17th, 2007 at 4:05 pm
About the squeaky shoes….the squeakers do come out, and the shoes are still adorable. I got a few mary jane types, and even cute little lavender sandals (for about $3/each). I wish I had bought more!
I also made sure to buy one nice thing from my daughter’s province. Her province is known for its porcelain, so I picked one really special piece that I love, and will someday pass it on to her. I’m glad someone recommended that we do that.
Becki
http://www.2china4addison.com
January 17th, 2007 at 4:08 pm
Someone asked a question about packmates~ you do not need a vaccume to deflate them for the trip home. You just roll them, and the air comes out, they are the travel version. A lot of people I have talked to claim these were a must! Does anyone who has BTDT have any input on these? They aren’t very expensive, but I was wondering if they are even necessary at all…?
RQ~ I am very curious (I know it has been asked before) but, did you get your referral? I have a feeling that you didn’t because of your response to the last batch (that was a HUGE letdown for all, though). Will you share? : )
Jessa
January 17th, 2007 at 4:12 pm
I liked the packmates. They were also a great help in staying organized. I’d just pack an entire outfit in a bag, and squish it down. No digging through the suitcase on day 4 trying to find clean socks.
January 17th, 2007 at 4:21 pm
We used packmates! I really liked them.They were good for dirty clothes too :)
As far as the squeaky shoes, they were fun for a little while, but after that my Family made me take the squeakers out! The shoes are still cute :)
January 17th, 2007 at 4:22 pm
Next question. If we are only allowed so much weight with regards to our luggage (48lbs per person), how does everyone that shops so much get everything back in the extra luggage they are taking. I just went to NYC last fall and DH and I had 130lbs of return luggage after shopping. And that was only after 5 days in NYC. Now I’ll have 2 weeks to shop. HELP!!
I find all of this information wonderful, yet sooooo intimidating.
January 17th, 2007 at 4:30 pm
Okay,
THis has been so helpful, along with the thread yesterday. However, I am sooooo looking for a rumor about beginning matching perhaps. Is there NOTHING out there?
Meg
LID 9/29
this is the longest month of my entire life!
January 17th, 2007 at 4:31 pm
waiting4kjk2,]
We just paid the overweight fee. It’s not much. Maybe 10 dollars US.
January 17th, 2007 at 4:33 pm
Some things you take to China and don’t bring back: like all those bottles of lotions we took for gifts. This left a lot of space/weight for little shoes and clothes.
It takes FOREVER to check in at airports because (depending on agency) you’re in a large group. Even though the luggage is always weighed, we were never charged for overweight. And since we did most of our shopping in Guangzhou, we were good to go since our travel from there was back to USA (not in-China).
January 17th, 2007 at 4:53 pm
My favorite buy was a set of hand painted portraits of our daughters inside little perfume bottles. The artist painted the pictures from photos on the insides of the bottles. They were about $22.00 each. A lot of parents purchased etchings on slate(?). It was fascinating watching the women make the pictures, but I knew they would be too heavy to add to our many purchases. And yes, I thought I had bought a lot, but I didn’t. I came home and still dream that I am shopping in Guangzhou and buying more. I am glad that my sister is going to Guangzhou in March so that, hopefully, I can get more shoes.
January 17th, 2007 at 4:59 pm
How much money did you folks carry around with you? Did you take a certain amount over to China and then took a chunk each day? Or, did you use ATM’s and such? I am really curious how much people are taking over with them for shopping. Also, do the places like the pearl factories and such take credit cards? Would you recommend credit cards when you can use them or would you recommend using strictly cash?
January 17th, 2007 at 5:05 pm
On the way home, the weight of the luggage doesn’t seem to matter — I know you are allowed 50 lbs. for international flights, plus you’re allowed two checked bags per ticketed passenger (at least on domestic flights). The 44 lb. weight limit is for inter-China flights only.
The others are right saying that you’ll get rid of a lot of weight in gifts/donations, etc. We emptied one complete suitcase of donations/gifts, and still needed to buy another suitcase for the return trip.
We bought a “genuine” Polo suitcase on Shamian Island — at least that’s what we were told. Of course, unless Polo is now spelled PQLQ, we got a fake!! (LOL). Still, it worked, and is in good shape even now. (In case you’re wondering, we knew it was a fake the whole time, but we were in the middle of packing and needed another suitcase, so we bought what we could find!)
BTW, when a man on the street wanted to sell my son a “Genuine Rolex”, my husband said something like “I’m sure it’s a fake,” to which the seller said, “yes, a best quality original fake Rolex!” At least he was honest, but we didn’t buy the watch!
January 17th, 2007 at 5:12 pm
Most shops will take credit cards (visa). Use whichever you prefer. We took small portions of cash when we went out each day. For shopping around White Swan, you’ll walk. At most you may be 5-10 minutes from the hotel so it’s pretty easy to go back to get more cash. Don’t plan on converting your money at the White Swan during business hours. They won’t do it. They direct you to the bank next door. The bank is very slow and tedious. Wait until after the bank closes and then exchange your money at the hotel. I can’t remember how much “shopping” cash we took…maybe a couple thousand. We thought we’d done a lot of shopping but had a lot of money when we returned. Stuff is cheap.
January 17th, 2007 at 5:13 pm
browneyes, I’m sorry I don’t remember exact amounts that we took with us, but Yes, the factories and government stores do take credit cards. I would recommend calling your credit card companies before you go, one, to tell them you will be in China and the dates, and two, to find out what their exchange rate fee is. Some of our credit cards charged a few percent fee, and some didn’t charge anything. it’s good to know ahead of time!
Becki
http://www.2china4addison.com
January 17th, 2007 at 5:54 pm
Use the bank at the White Swan. We tryed to use a bank in China because the one in the White Swan was closed and it took over one hour. They are very different than our banks.
January 17th, 2007 at 6:12 pm
Here’s my 2 cents on the subject:
Someone asked about particular shops to check out. On Shamian Island, I especially liked a store called “A Gift From China”. All of the profits from this store go to support orphanages in China. Also, they had nice items although not the variety of things that some of the other shops had. I would also recommend getting to any of the more authentic Chinese markets if you can (away from just the tourist track).
On the “why shop?” idea. . .we had a couple of families in our travel group who didn’t want to carry things home and were going to purchase items here in the States when they came home. For us, it was more important to have the experiences and the stories to tell in the future than it was to have items that were simply Chinese in nature.
We also opted to bring home a variety of gifts to give our daughter each year – I think I have 18-20 total items ranging in value, but trying to match a little to what she may find interesting or appealing at various ages. We are planning to do the same for daughter #2. We also brought back several items for our home and for friends/family.
On the subject of negotiating the one thing I found hard was making a decision up front if I really wanted the item. If I looked at an item but didn’t buy right away and then came back later I lost my negotiating power to some degree as the salesperson knew that I was indeed there to buy the second time around. I only made that mistake once!
The shopping is a really fun element and I absolutely love looking through the things we brought back and telling my daughter stories about our trip. I can’t wait to do it again!
January 17th, 2007 at 6:25 pm
We took about $2,000 in cash. Exchanged about $100 into RMB at a time. Usually both DH and I had about 775RMB each on us when we were shopping. Like RQ we had a few RMB handy in a pocket/easy access and the rest was stashed on us elsewhere :-)
January 17th, 2007 at 6:28 pm
A note to the above post that I wrote. The $2,000 was for spending money, no fees were included in this. I think we ended up spending $750 on gifts.
January 17th, 2007 at 6:39 pm
Things I loved that I bought 2 years ago: porcelain dish that when you hold it up to the light, you see another dotted pattern; etchings with each of my girls; chinese horse picture; chops; Porcelain traditional Chinese dolls; some silk; 14k gold pendants; small pieces of jade; teacups; tea set from a tea house. Things I wish I picked up more of: jewelry, Chinese pictures; silk bedding/linens; teacups. Souvenir that was hard to find: Chinese tee-shirts (found some at the HK airport) Something I never found: Chinese dolls (like a barbie- everything was caucasion looking, just like you’d find in the States.)- couldn’t find any Chinese baby dolls either. Did anyone find these?? Things I bought too much of: inexpensive silk clothes for DD. Next time I’ll buy better quality. I had a great time bargaining, and found everyone really nice!
January 17th, 2007 at 6:58 pm
browneyes, we called our credit card company to let them know that we were going to China, so that they would NOT decline our credit card purchases. Although, we didn’t need their services, it was nice to know we could use our cc, if need be. It is always great to be prepared if you are going to travel to a different state or country. Regarding the lugguge, we took (older) clothes that we were going to wear and NOT bring home, along with the gifts that we brought to China. Those items, did free up lugguage weight for your journey home. Our adoption agency had a list of items to take and not take, it helped. jfk
January 17th, 2007 at 7:39 pm
Wrote something earlier- it didn’t show up. Just testing…
January 17th, 2007 at 8:09 pm
I learned from a few BTDT recently that the hotels will put a $1500 hold on your credit card, as a security deposit — be aware, and call your CC company!
Also, remember on the trip home, you can have 45-50 lbs for your daughter! I’m planning to look into shipping stuff (non-breakable, non-valuable) home, just because I’m looking at two checked bags, two carry-ons, a diaper bag, and a 14-month old!
January 17th, 2007 at 8:41 pm
Michael’s Place is a GREAT place to buy chops. Michael’s shop is located down the street past Lucy’s near the tennis court (side nearest the river).
This trip (our 3rd) we purchased a family chop with all of our names and some extra artwork. The chop it self is beautiful by itself – a 6 inch tall carving of the 9 dragons. Michael’s carving is simply beautiful! You can buy chops just about everywhere, but he really makes it special.
It is a really nice walk to his shop, and he is a good person – you will be glad you stopped to talk to him!
January 17th, 2007 at 8:49 pm
Here’s a tip on getting all that stuff home – get your laundry done the day before. The clothes come back so compressed and flat you’ll be amazed at all the extra space in your suitcase!
We also packed an empty duffle bag that we filled with dirty clothes for the trip home.
Between that and our two suitcases, we never exceeded the weight limit.
January 17th, 2007 at 9:44 pm
On our trips for our daughters, my favorite finds were in the book store and in a special children’s department store. We found beautiful designer clothing for the girls – I believe imported from Italy – that are so original and adorable! I like the girls to coordinate, not match, and this line of clothing (Mona Lisa) was well made and not outrageously priced. It was more than the $5 range we see in Guangzhou, but so worth it. A dress with a top and capri coordinating outfits cost maybe $30 US, and have lasted and washed well.
Bookstores can have at least 6 floors, and one devoted to children. You can get coloring books, writing practice, books with the awful princesses, toys, puzzles, stationary, pens, all kinds of really fun things for a good price as well. My girls love to pull out a pen or coloring book and do their “Chinese Homework”.
Another fun place is the grocery store. I brought home a bottle of Chili Pepper Soy Sauce that is awesome. I got a bunch of Skittles for little guys and they got quite a kick out of the Chinese writing on them.
There are so many incredible experiences to look forward to on this trip!
4-25-06
January 17th, 2007 at 10:20 pm
Haven’t posted before but can’t resist this thread.
Squeaky shoes: Think dog toy. We let DD#1 wear them with squeakers on special occasions (Chinese New Year, for one) where we knew folks would understand. Then we took them out so the dog wouldn’t think DD was a toy!
Our favorite purchase: pearls from our daughter’s province and the granite etchings (which they can do from a photo you provide, so if you want an etching with baby and siblings who didn’t travel, just bring a picture of the siblings and they’ll blend them all together). Wish I hadn’t bought so many silky dresses, as DD turns out not to be built to wear them (too broad-shouldered, who’da thunk it?). Wish I’d gotten off the beaten path on Shamian island to find hidden treasures instead of the same stuff most shops had.
Funniest thing we bought that we knew we got gouged on and didn’t care because it was a hoot: A Chairman Mao watch at Tiannenman square on our first full day in China.
January 17th, 2007 at 10:23 pm
This is great thread!! I am sooooo stoked about the whole shopping experience that my dh is dreading it!LOL
I can’t wait to get the squeaky shoes in varying colors/sizes, as well as clothing, jewelry, and a Mah Jongg set.. My mom has one and I loved it, so I plan on getting one there instead of paying up to $100 in the States for one. The funny thing is that I hate shopping..loathe it actually. Y’all have given me ideas for items that I forgot about, too. Thanks a bunch!
Claire
LID 10/10/05(next?)
January 17th, 2007 at 10:25 pm
I was just wondering if anyone knew of a good place to get the Chinese lullabye music or nursery rhymes to music that I heard someone mention and can’t remember? Can we buy it in China? I plan on buying children books and of course some cook books to add to our collection. Come on rumors!!! :0)
Debbie
LID 11/22/05
January 17th, 2007 at 10:27 pm
This is a test, my other post did not show up.
Debbie
LID 11/22/05
January 17th, 2007 at 10:42 pm
I agree with DoubleK-we had our laundry done in GZ when we first arrived, and then the day before we left (Lucy’s gives a discount and I think we were paying around 120 RMB to have ALL of our clothes cleaned, folded, and packed in plastic as DoubleK mentioned).
We appreciated having an easier time packing, but we especially appreciated arriving home and not having to do laundry right away!
One other note-I can’t stand the bargaining, but really, the prices you are quoted will be so, so high compared to what they *should* be. As an example, I was planning to purchase a very nice jade bracelet and was told 100 RMB, but when I asked my guide to bargain she got the price down to 40 RMB for 2. Pearls vary so much in quality but our guide was knowledgeable and an excellent bargainer, so we got very good quality sets of necklaces, bracelets, earrings for 200 RMB (about $25) and I got a set of black pearls which are okay for around 50 RMB.
We really didn’t buy that much, and so far I don’t regret it. We’re planning another trip back, though-most likely within one to two years.
January 17th, 2007 at 10:44 pm
hi
January 17th, 2007 at 10:47 pm
Speaking of shopping, does anyone know of a good place to buy baby music in China, to help sooth the little ones?
Thanks for your help
Debbie
LID 11/22/05
January 17th, 2007 at 10:57 pm
same thoughts about what if you have 2 checked bags on inter-country flights in china? and 1 carry on? what do you do with that add’l bag???
January 17th, 2007 at 10:59 pm
As far as keeping money safe on your body, what specific brand/type of money keeper did people find that worked well?
January 17th, 2007 at 11:03 pm
Wow, RQ, I wish I had had your shopping guide before we left. I alone, in our travel group, bought 10 pairs of shoes for our daughter, some of which are still too big for her. This was in a Japanese owned dept store in Changsha. The avg price was around $4.00 each. I should have filled up a whole suitcase! the styles are like none available here, very baby chic, everyone comments on how cool they are. If they were available here, they would be at least $25 per pair.
And I could have used your bargaining tips as well! Bonne chance when you travel, and thanks for your site. I still read it even though we are not in process again at this time (yet) !!! : )
January 17th, 2007 at 11:45 pm
We bought a Mah Jongg set and had it shipped home directly from the Frienship Store in 2003. It is beautiful but all the numbers and symbols are in CHinese and it has less blank tiles than the American versions so it can be very tough for people to use who are used to the CHinese numbers.
January 17th, 2007 at 11:55 pm
Has anybody purchased any musical instruments in CHina? My son wants to major in music in college and wqould love to bring back some percusion or guitar type instruments.
January 18th, 2007 at 8:30 am
What a great thread! I really need this as I am not a good shopper anywhere! So it is best if I go knowing what I want and where to look for it!
I came home from my trip in 2002 thinking I had so much but really wish I had more! I will be better prepared this time. My all time favorite item from China is an oil painting I had done of my daughter on Shaiman Island. The artist (I think he went by the name Ben) took a photo of her, or you can bring one. He then creates an oil painting from this photo. He usually puts the child in a traditional Chinese outfit but you can request it be done in the outfit the child has on in the photo as well. I believe it was about $50 U.S. and well worth it. I think he usually requests three days but we found him 2 days before we were due to leave so he fit us in and our painting was ready for pick up right on time.
The painting is true to life, everyone who sees it just can’t believe how real she looks. Now I have this beautiful reminder of the first days I spent with my daughter in China. I did not have it framed there as it was easier to bring home not framed. But, it was very expensive to have it framed here. Hopefully, he is still there and I can have this done again. One of Mei Mei and one of the girls together.
Has anyone else had this done?
January 18th, 2007 at 8:34 am
Shopping tips for GZ….We were there for the full two weeks last time. The island was nice but there was only so much I could take. Our luggage was lost on the flight in so we needed to go where the “real people” shop to get underwear, socks and new outfits:) So here we were day one fresh off the plane by ourselves, no travel group, at the White Swan and needed underwear. We asked the conssseir ( however you spell it) were to go and he sent us off in a taxi. Talk about a cultural awaking. All I can say is….I am so glad my luggage was lost. We would have never had the experience we did. Anyway, we got in a taxi and they drove us to a local mall the Grand Buy….we had a blast. Maybe it was the adventure of not understanding a single person and being the only non Asian in sight. We truly felt like one day were in Chicago and the next…teleported whole new world . The White Swan gave us a white card that had a bunch of places to go written in Chinsese and English. We would just point on the card to the taxi cab driver and he would take us there. At the end of our adventures we would just point to the top of the card where it said White Swan and they would take us back. We went on our own adventures even after we got our daughter. We had to act as our own tour guides. And yes our luggage was eventually found. I had carried enough for baby in my carry on, formula, clothes, diapers but nothing for myself. Long story short….get off the island and explore, expecially if you are going to be there for two weeks:)
Jennifer
January 18th, 2007 at 9:32 am
Our group went on several outings while at the White Swan and one of them was to the “biggest” department store in Guangzhou – sorry I can’t remember the name – and right around the corner was a Mc Donald… then across the street was a HUGE music store. We bought about 20 different cd – both popular chinese music and children’s songs. I don’t remember there being much right on the Island for CDs
January 18th, 2007 at 2:28 pm
DH and I went a belayed honeymoon to Beijing last October (since we have more time to save money before the babe comes home). The streetvenders started to annoy me by the start of day three. We passed a group of them every night on our ‘evening round’ ( I loved walking around during dinnertime to see al the activity in the streets). Politeness doesn’t work, so I started to hold my hand up (Like ‘talk to the hand’) and said ‘Bu’ with a rather angry expression on my face. I’m not sure my prononciation was right, but they sure got the message and cleared the way. Not very nice, I know, but it worked.
Bargaining is only fun when both parties can be happy with the result. My DH drove a hard bargain, but he stayed polite and threw in some smiles. On our last day we went back to a streetvender from who we had purchased may items from a few days earlier. She spotted us and waved ‘remember me?’ Ofcourse we did. I wanted to buy a bracelet and I knew she asked me price that was to high. But it was the equivelent of 1 euro. I could spare 1 euro ofcourse. So I didn’t bargain and paid her the asked price and told her that I wasn’t such a hard bargainer as my husband. She smiled and she said a had a good husband. ‘very handsome, very smart man’, she said. Although he had drove a hard bargain, she did respect him, because he had respected her, I guess. The items we bought are now sold and the profits will benefit children in China who need surgery. So it was bargaining for a good cause!
Take your time when you go shopping, if you have time to spare. There are many young people who are happy to show you their knowledge of English. Ofcourse they want to sell you things, but I had may nice conversations with shopowners and their employees.