As a geteway to Tibet, the start of the southern Silk Road, Chengdu is an important center of commerce and trade. And also Chengdu is a city with a good selection of souvenirs and things to buy.
Recommend for Shopping:
● Jinli Ancient Street
Jinli Ancient Street is designed in the style of the Qing Dynasty. Many shops, teahouses, bars, and restaurants along the street are designed with traditional architectural style. In the evening, it is the time when Jinli really comes to life. The streets are lit with traditional red lanterns and the locals come out to walk the street and do some window shopping. It is an excellent place to purchase arts and crafts unique to Chengdu.
● Night Market
The best place to pick up all these souvenirs is at the night market near Jinjiang Hotel. The market offers all kinds of weird and wonderful goods from embroidered silk to statues of Chairman Mao. Don not forget bargain. Prices are not set in stone and quoted prices will be much higher than what the stall owner will accept.
● The Chengdu Lacquer Craft Factory
Chengdu is one of the major producers of lacquer ware. The Chinese assign name to different types of lacquer-ware according to the method of production. Many different types of lacquer product are produced in Chengdu including wall decorations and screens. Some pieces are covered with flax, paper or plastic before they are painted to avoid the wood rotting. The main factory producing these exquisite pieces is located
here.
● Ren Min Market
It is a old time market with long history and high reputation. It is situated in the golden business circle, very popular by tourists.
● Songxianqiao Art City
It is an expensive market obviously trying to milk a foreigner. There is an interesting selection of Mao Zedong memorabilia to go along with the predictable items such as jade jewelry and stamps, Buddha statues, animal figures of all kinds, calligraphic wall hangings, tea sets and loads of pottery. Be patient as the rows of shops and small stalls, all of which sell relatively similar items, keep bending away from the parking lot.
●Chun Xi Lu Shopping District
Chun Xi Lu Shopping District is the most hip and popular district. It is quite large and its main street is on a north, south axis. Chun Xi Lu is a pedestrian street, which means that no vehicles are allowed on it making it a safe place to stroll and do a bit of window shopping. On either side of Chun Xi Lu are tall and modern shops selling modern fashions, electronics, and jewelry. There are also many restaurants and small snack stands that sell Chengdu's famous local cuisine.
● Women's Market
Any kind of clothing accessories, jewelries or styles of young women's fashion can be found here. The market is a two-floor maze of tiny wall stalls and little shops. Don't forget to bargain hard before you buy something from here.