Eight China-flavored, travel-friendly Christmas gifts to throw in your rucksack
By Raemin Zhang, Tracy You 16 December, 2011 It's the time of the year again: Christmas.
While the festive month means traveling, partying and family and friends reunion, it also comes with an annual headache: what gifts to buy?
We roamed Shanghai's streets and sourced a short list of traditional Chinese gifts. All of them are light, small and pliable -- perfect for travelers who are hunting for Christmas gift inspirations on the road.
Send your friends a slice of the most famous Chinese culture with these colorful opera mask-adorned bottle openers (RMB 10 per opener).
Both Peking Opera and Sichuan Opera masks are available. These over-sized and magnetic openers won’t fit on a key chain, but they can be easily shoved into a carry-on.
Note that in Peking Opera, the color of the mask implies the personality of the character -- red means loyalty, white is treachery, blue stands for arrogance and stubbornness. So choose yours wisely.
More on CNNGo: Best markets in Shanghai
Shanghai Yu Garden Mall Commodity Markets Peony Shop, 17 Yuyuan Laojie, 238 Fuyou Lu, near Lishui Lu 福佑路238号豫园老街17号, 近丽水路, +86 139 0180 0379, 8.30 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Legend has it that Chinese people started wearing cotton shoes more than 3,000 years ago, and there are scores of reasons to love a pair of these handmade kicks -- comfortable, light, cheap, environmentally friendly and fashionable, among others.
Pick a pair embroidered with a powerful dragon or dramatic peonies to stand out from the crowd. Don't sweat about the size because most dedicated cotton shoe shops in Shanghai provide made-to-measure service.
More on CNNGo: ospop: The shoe inspired by China's laborers comes home
Old Beijing cotton shoes shop, 320 Xizang Nan Lu, near Kuaiji Lu 西藏南路320号老北京布鞋店, 近会稽路, +86 21 5382 0355, 9 a.m. - 9 p.m. Price starts from RMB 39 (for man) and RMB 56 (for woman) for a pair of plain shoes. Those with embroideries will run you RMB 118 a pair minimum.
Check out China's revolutionary history in these Mao-era propaganda posters.
Lurking quietly in the basement of an ordinary-looking Shanghai apartment building, The Propaganda Poster Art Centre houses around 5,000 multicolored posters; they embody the messages and thoughts of the Great Helmsman and were once the nation's main medium.
The art center carries original posters (RMB 400-800) as well as duplicates (under RMB 100) of those that were most prevailent in China from 1949 till the end of 1970s.
After you pick your favorite posters, be sure to introduce yourself to Yang Peiming (杨培明), the 62-year-old owner of the center. The affable Yang will be happy to throw in a free background story of the painting.
More on CNNGo: 8 strangest Shanghai museums
Shanghai Propaganda Poster Art Centre, Room BOC, 868 Huashan Lu, near Wukang Lu 华山路868号总统公寓B座OC室, 近武康路, +86 21 6211 1845, 9 a.m.-4.30 p.m.
Chopsticks are one of the very few utensils in the world that get to represent a country. Their portability and versatility have also nominated them as a perfect gift or souvenir.
Prepare to be amazed by the art and craftsmanship of the chopsticks in Shanghai's gift shops.
Grab a plastic pair with two E.T. heads stuck on top (RMB 12) for juniors, or go extravagant with an ivory pair inlaid with real gold for your art-loving grandpa (RMB 42,000).
Our choice goes to a pair of no-frills wooden chopsticks -- they are the most traditional type and are definitely wallet-friendly.
A set of wooden gift chopsticks goes from RMB 68-200 in Yunhong, a chopsticks-dedicated gift shop.
Yunhong Chopsticks Shop, 377 Nanjing Dong Lu, near Shanxi Nan Lu 南京东路377号, 近山西南路, +86 21 6322 0207, 9 a.m.-10.30 p.m., www.yunhong.cn
Every one of us has a superstitious friend, and nothing pleases them more than receiving 12 months' advice in advance from a fen shui master.
Shanghai Tang teamed up with Moleskine and launched this feng shui notebook (RMB 410) in December. Find out what to do and who to avoid for the next 366 days from Hong Kong-based fengshui master Koon Sir.
The Chinese-English bilingual notebook also provides an overview on the general fortune of each animal sign for the whole the coming year.
More on CNNGo: Best souvenirs to buy at Shanghai Pudong Airport
Shanghai Tang, 15 Xintiandi North Block, Lane 181 Taicang Lu, near Madang Lu 太仓路181弄新天地北里15号, 近马当路, +86 21 6384 1601, 10.30 a.m.-11 p.m., www.shanghaitang.com
Sandalwood fan is a killer app for ladies of all ages.
Women in South China have been using these fold-up fans since the Qing Dynasty. While fanning, sandalwood emits fragrance which boosts ladies' elegance and femininity.
The aroma of a quality sandalwood fan can stay for as long as eight years.
The body of the fan is usually carved with traditional Chinese lucky elements or culture references, such as bamboo, peacock, and plum flowers.
Price for a sandalwood fan usually range from RMB 30-400.
More on CNNGo: Best qipao tailors in Shanghai
393-394 Fuyou Shopping Center, 225 Fuyou Lu, near Lishui Lu 福佑路225号福佑商厦三楼393-394号, 近丽水路, +86 21 6330 1646, +86 189 1817 3183, 7 a.m.-5 p.m.
Sometimes, all we really wish for is a good diary for the coming year, especially a multifunctional one.
Released by M on the Bund, Shanghai's top restaurant on the Bund, M Diary (RMB 288) is a combination of calendar, travel guide and Chinese culture reference book.
Highlights from a flip through the hardcover diary include a pop-up dragon, an introduction to off-the-beaten-track Chinese tourist attractions such as the earthen buildings (tu lou, 土楼) near Xiamen, and a CD featuring the exclusive chamber music titles played in M on the Bund’s Crystal dining room by Shanghai-based ensemble Crystal Music Studio.
The bilingual diary also highlights all the traditional Chinese festivals and holidays in the coming year.
More on CNNGo: Shanghai's most literary locales
Boocup SWFC, Unit 316, SWFC 100 Shiji Dadao, near Huayuan Shiqiao Lu 世纪大道100号316店铺, 近花园石桥路, +86 21 6877 5316, 10 a.m.-8 p.m., www.m-restaurantgroup.com/mbund/m-diary
This set of 14 postcards is a well-compiled collection (RMB 30) of life in the city’s historic and iconic Shikumen residential areas, presented in the form of print-on papercut.
By browsing through the games Shikumen kids used to play, the rhymes they used to sing and the way neighbors used to communicate with each other, you can understand why Shanghai is more than just a city with modern buildings to born-and-bred natives.
Mail them to friends or throw a set into your backpack: a city’s down-to-earth lifestyle is the best souvenir to take home to friends.
While the festive month means traveling, partying and family and friends reunion, it also comes with an annual headache: what gifts to buy?
We roamed Shanghai's streets and sourced a short list of traditional Chinese gifts. All of them are light, small and pliable -- perfect for travelers who are hunting for Christmas gift inspirations on the road.
1. Opera mask bottle opener
Make sure to open your beer with one of these at your Christmas party.
Send your friends a slice of the most famous Chinese culture with these colorful opera mask-adorned bottle openers (RMB 10 per opener).
Both Peking Opera and Sichuan Opera masks are available. These over-sized and magnetic openers won’t fit on a key chain, but they can be easily shoved into a carry-on.
Note that in Peking Opera, the color of the mask implies the personality of the character -- red means loyalty, white is treachery, blue stands for arrogance and stubbornness. So choose yours wisely.
More on CNNGo: Best markets in Shanghai
Shanghai Yu Garden Mall Commodity Markets Peony Shop, 17 Yuyuan Laojie, 238 Fuyou Lu, near Lishui Lu 福佑路238号豫园老街17号, 近丽水路, +86 139 0180 0379, 8.30 a.m. - 9 p.m.
2. Chinese cotton shoes
These retro kicks are currently in fashion.
Legend has it that Chinese people started wearing cotton shoes more than 3,000 years ago, and there are scores of reasons to love a pair of these handmade kicks -- comfortable, light, cheap, environmentally friendly and fashionable, among others.
Pick a pair embroidered with a powerful dragon or dramatic peonies to stand out from the crowd. Don't sweat about the size because most dedicated cotton shoe shops in Shanghai provide made-to-measure service.
More on CNNGo: ospop: The shoe inspired by China's laborers comes home
Old Beijing cotton shoes shop, 320 Xizang Nan Lu, near Kuaiji Lu 西藏南路320号老北京布鞋店, 近会稽路, +86 21 5382 0355, 9 a.m. - 9 p.m. Price starts from RMB 39 (for man) and RMB 56 (for woman) for a pair of plain shoes. Those with embroideries will run you RMB 118 a pair minimum.
3. Chinese propaganda posters
A poster from the late 1970s: children were encouraged to study science so they could fly to the moon and meet Chang Er, the Moon Goddess.
Check out China's revolutionary history in these Mao-era propaganda posters.
Lurking quietly in the basement of an ordinary-looking Shanghai apartment building, The Propaganda Poster Art Centre houses around 5,000 multicolored posters; they embody the messages and thoughts of the Great Helmsman and were once the nation's main medium.
The art center carries original posters (RMB 400-800) as well as duplicates (under RMB 100) of those that were most prevailent in China from 1949 till the end of 1970s.
After you pick your favorite posters, be sure to introduce yourself to Yang Peiming (杨培明), the 62-year-old owner of the center. The affable Yang will be happy to throw in a free background story of the painting.
More on CNNGo: 8 strangest Shanghai museums
Shanghai Propaganda Poster Art Centre, Room BOC, 868 Huashan Lu, near Wukang Lu 华山路868号总统公寓B座OC室, 近武康路, +86 21 6211 1845, 9 a.m.-4.30 p.m.
4. Chopsticks
Christmas gift for your foodie friends.
Chopsticks are one of the very few utensils in the world that get to represent a country. Their portability and versatility have also nominated them as a perfect gift or souvenir.
Prepare to be amazed by the art and craftsmanship of the chopsticks in Shanghai's gift shops.
Grab a plastic pair with two E.T. heads stuck on top (RMB 12) for juniors, or go extravagant with an ivory pair inlaid with real gold for your art-loving grandpa (RMB 42,000).
Our choice goes to a pair of no-frills wooden chopsticks -- they are the most traditional type and are definitely wallet-friendly.
A set of wooden gift chopsticks goes from RMB 68-200 in Yunhong, a chopsticks-dedicated gift shop.
Yunhong Chopsticks Shop, 377 Nanjing Dong Lu, near Shanxi Nan Lu 南京东路377号, 近山西南路, +86 21 6322 0207, 9 a.m.-10.30 p.m., www.yunhong.cn
5. Feng shui notebook
This Moleskine is dubbed "the world’s first fengshui diary."
Every one of us has a superstitious friend, and nothing pleases them more than receiving 12 months' advice in advance from a fen shui master.
Shanghai Tang teamed up with Moleskine and launched this feng shui notebook (RMB 410) in December. Find out what to do and who to avoid for the next 366 days from Hong Kong-based fengshui master Koon Sir.
The Chinese-English bilingual notebook also provides an overview on the general fortune of each animal sign for the whole the coming year.
More on CNNGo: Best souvenirs to buy at Shanghai Pudong Airport
Shanghai Tang, 15 Xintiandi North Block, Lane 181 Taicang Lu, near Madang Lu 太仓路181弄新天地北里15号, 近马当路, +86 21 6384 1601, 10.30 a.m.-11 p.m., www.shanghaitang.com
6. Sandalwood Fan
Match your sandalwood fan with a qipao dress.
Sandalwood fan is a killer app for ladies of all ages.
Women in South China have been using these fold-up fans since the Qing Dynasty. While fanning, sandalwood emits fragrance which boosts ladies' elegance and femininity.
The aroma of a quality sandalwood fan can stay for as long as eight years.
The body of the fan is usually carved with traditional Chinese lucky elements or culture references, such as bamboo, peacock, and plum flowers.
Price for a sandalwood fan usually range from RMB 30-400.
More on CNNGo: Best qipao tailors in Shanghai
393-394 Fuyou Shopping Center, 225 Fuyou Lu, near Lishui Lu 福佑路225号福佑商厦三楼393-394号, 近丽水路, +86 21 6330 1646, +86 189 1817 3183, 7 a.m.-5 p.m.
7. M Dairy
M Diary is a handy gift for Chinese culture vultures.
Sometimes, all we really wish for is a good diary for the coming year, especially a multifunctional one.
Released by M on the Bund, Shanghai's top restaurant on the Bund, M Diary (RMB 288) is a combination of calendar, travel guide and Chinese culture reference book.
Highlights from a flip through the hardcover diary include a pop-up dragon, an introduction to off-the-beaten-track Chinese tourist attractions such as the earthen buildings (tu lou, 土楼) near Xiamen, and a CD featuring the exclusive chamber music titles played in M on the Bund’s Crystal dining room by Shanghai-based ensemble Crystal Music Studio.
The bilingual diary also highlights all the traditional Chinese festivals and holidays in the coming year.
More on CNNGo: Shanghai's most literary locales
Boocup SWFC, Unit 316, SWFC 100 Shiji Dadao, near Huayuan Shiqiao Lu 世纪大道100号316店铺, 近花园石桥路, +86 21 6877 5316, 10 a.m.-8 p.m., www.m-restaurantgroup.com/mbund/m-diary
8. Shikumen postcards
Shanghai's bygone lifestyle on 14 postcards.
This set of 14 postcards is a well-compiled collection (RMB 30) of life in the city’s historic and iconic Shikumen residential areas, presented in the form of print-on papercut.
By browsing through the games Shikumen kids used to play, the rhymes they used to sing and the way neighbors used to communicate with each other, you can understand why Shanghai is more than just a city with modern buildings to born-and-bred natives.
Mail them to friends or throw a set into your backpack: a city’s down-to-earth lifestyle is the best souvenir to take home to friends.
0 comments:
Post a Comment