Shopping in Guangzhou,Guangzhou Travel,Guangzhou Travel Guide, Guangzhou Adventure Guide, China Travel Guide

Lying next to Hong Kong and Macau, Guangzhou is aware of its commercial development. The biannual Canton Fair adds to the commercial atmosphere. To tourists, Guangzhou is really a 'Shoppers' Paradise'.

If a friend comes to Guangzhou from afar, Cantonese will take him/her to walk around the Shangxia Jiu Lu and Teem Plaza area. Just like the Wangfujing in Beijing, the Town God's Temple (Chenghuang Miao) in Shanghai and the Confucius Temple in Nanjing, Shangxia Jiu Lu is the most influential traditional commercial street in Guangzhou.

Shangxia Jiu Lu Pedestrian Street is located in the Liwan District of Xiguan, a prosperous traditional commercial district. It is the first commercial pedestrian street in Guangzhou. Walking into this street, you will see the featured Qi Lou, an old building style that exists in Guangzhou and its neighboring areas, on both sides of the road. It reflects the strong Lingnan Culture. On this street lie more than 200 stores, especially those brand name restaurants and teahouses open here. From 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends and holidays and on every night, Shangxia Jiu Lu is restricted to pedestrians only.

Be sure to go to Shangxia Jiu Lu. Even if you don't buy anything, just walking along this street you will feel the cultural atmosphere in the street with Qi Lou on both sides.

Walking on the Beijing Lu, in the center of Guangzhou City, however, you will find a world far different from Shangxi Jiu Lu. It is simultaneously fashionable and traditional.

If you are interested in Japanese and Korean fashion, go to Zhuangyuan Fang (Number One Scholar Lane) on Renmin Nan Lu. Although it is a small lane less than 200 meters (656 feet) long, the Zhuangyuan Fang attracts numerous visitors by its most fashionable clothes, ornaments, and small articles that are popular with young people.

The most famous department stores are Teem Plaza, China Plaza (Zhonghua Guangcheng). The Teem Plaza has become the new commercial center of Guangzhou. Here boutiques, shops selling fantastic goods and restaurants come together.

Yide Lu Seafood Market is the home of famous dried seafood. You will find a wide variety such as shark's fin, oysters, abalone and cuttlefish... Shan Hai Cheng and Hai Zhong Bao are the most reputed seafood markets here.

The Clothes Wholesale Market: Gaodi Street from Beijing Nan Lu at the east to Qiyi Lu at the west and Hongmian Clothes Market at F1, 2 and 3, No. 184, Huanshi Xi Lu, Guangzhou

Guangzhou boasts eight major shopping streets, such as Dishipu, Beijing Road, Gaodi Street which sells articles of everyday use, Culture Street on Wende Road, Night Market at the West Lake Road, and the Golden Fish Street on Shufang Street, Danan Road. If you take a tour of these shopping streets, you will surely come back with lots of commodities. The beautiful Ram City is indeed a paradise for shopping.

Hualin Jadeware Street & Wende Calligraphy and Painting Street
Located on Xia Jiu Lu, Hualin Jadeware Street is a street mainly dealing with retail, wholesale and jade and jewelry processing. It is said the history of this street can be traced back to the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). From that time, Hualin Jadeware Street has already been the famed Jadeware Fair. At present, hundreds of jadeware stores are found here. Best-quality jades from Burma and Yunnan Province are made into jade bracelets, rings and other wares.

Wende Calligraphy and Painting Street neighboring the Beijing Lu is known as 'Guangzhou Gallery'. Stores selling works of calligraphy and craftworks line both sides of the road.

Shangxiajiu-Dishipu Pedestrian Shopping Street
It is one of the three major municipal-level shopping areas of Guangzhou. The 800-meter-long Street is lined with nearly 250 shops.

It starts from Shangxiajiu Road in the east, ends at Dishipu W. Road in the west. It has a group of old famous stores, such as the Yong'an Department Store, Guangzhou Garment Store, Herring Shoes and Hats Store, and Dalu Clock and Watch Store; some well renowned restaurants, including Guangzhou Restaurant, Taotaoju Restaurant, Wenchang Chicken, and Taotao Ginger and Onion Chicken; the Hualin Furniture and Jade Objects Street; Qingping Road; Liwan Square where stand a group of residential apartment buildings; and a large number of stores selling stationary.

It is the second pedestrian Street of this kind in Guangzhou. It is also an ideal place for customers and tourists to do shopping at weekend and holidays. It mainly includes a shopping section on the Beijing Road, which is home to over 10 large and medium sized shopping centers, such as Xindaxin Company, Guangzhou Department Store and Taibai Plaza, several bookstores and Xinhua Bookstore, which sell dictionaries, and education, ancient, music, fine arts and children's books, Changjiang Musical Instruments Store, Sanduoxian Studio, JiyazhaiStudio, Yanfang Photo Studio, Xinyitai Sports Goods Store, etc.

People can also find the Beijing, Jianqiang and New Style stores, the brilliantly illuminated night markets; some restaurants, such as Taiping Restaurant and Lidu Restaurant; and many fast food restaurants.

If you want to experience a typical modern life, you are recommended to pay a visit to the area near Tianhe City, and Tianhe Sports Center, where you will find it on a large scale and with various functions. Your children will love to visit the "Space Shuttle," an emulated movie studio on the first floor of the Tianhe City Square, and a skating rink on the fourth floor.

Walking out of the eastern side gate of the Tianhe City Square, you will go to Hongcheng Square, where you may take it easy to do shopping as it is not crowded with people.

Guangzhou Department Store
Located on 295 Beijing Road, Guangzhou Department Store is a large state-owned mall, mainly selling famous, excellent, new and special commodities. It has 11 shopping centers, such as articles of everyday use, food, clocks and watches, men and women's clothes, bedding, shoes and leather products, and cultural articles. Customers may select goods from the open shelves.

Xindaxin Company
Located on 4 Zhongshan Wulu, Xindaxin Company is one of the largest state-owned department stores in Guangzhou, with a construction area of 21,000 sq m. The 16-story building includes 15 shopping centers, selling food, articles of everyday use, cosmetics, women and children's clothes, knit wears and textiles, bedroom articles, men's clothes, audiovideo products, stationary, toys and sports articles and furniture centers. The Asian Commercial Federation named Xindaxin Company as the "Best General Merchandise Company of Asia."

Nanfang Building
It is a large state-owned retail sale enterprise with a time-honored history. As one of the 10 top department stores in China, Nanfang Building enjoys a high reputation at home and abroad, and consists of the West and Main buildings, a shopping street, and the underground shopping center across the Road. It covers a total business area of 13,000 sq m. The shopping street outside the main building sells refrigerators, washing machines, air conditioners, electric fans, bicycles, sewing machines and motorcycles. Nanfang Building features "high grade, fashionable and low-price" commodities.

Local Products
Don't forget to buy some local products such as the Wang Laoji Herbal Tea, cooking materials, Canton Embroidery, Canton Enamel and Canton Sculpture.

1. Canton Sculpture includes Canton Ivory Carvings, Jade Sculpture, Wood Sculpture and Olive Sculpture.
2. Canton Enamel is short for Guangzhou Colorful Pottery. It has a history of over 300 years.
3. Canton Embroidery, namely Yue Embroidery, is one of the Four Famous Chinese Embroideries together with Su Embroidery, Xiang Embroidery and Shu Embroidery.
4. Canton Bacon is the general designation of cured meat in the Guangzhou Area.
5. Wang Laoji Herbal Tea is a kind of medicine that is healthy for the human body.