Guangzhou Shopping

Guangdong Province is famous as an export industry region. Guangzhou is one of the coastal cities open to foreign investment in China, and it has grown rapidly as a financial center, administrative center, and export center in Guangdong Province. Guangdong Province is especially known for its export oriented industry and electronics industries. So if visitors to Guangdong want to go shopping for inexpensive electronics, clothing, computers, and thousands of other products, this is a good place to come. It is one of China's export centers. Thousands of African business people can be seen in the major wholesale areas buying export goods. There are about the best supermarkets in China, and thousands of outlets of various products. While in Guangzhou, why not check out what is available to take with you.

Local Products

Cantonese Embroidery: Cantonese embroidery is well-known for its bright colors, vivid patterns, and creative ideas.

Jade Sculpture: For some reason, Chinese have always loved jade items, from burial clothing for emperors to pendants many Chinese now wear. Jade ornaments include jade bracelets, jade rings, and jade earrings. Jade decorations people might want to decorate their houses or offices with include jade paperweights, jade flowers and plants, jade figures, and jade birds and animals. Jade vases, jars and other decorative products are also popular.

Wang Laoji (王老吉): This is a popular herbal tea because it cools people off in Guangzhou's hot weather and is also helpful to cool people off after eating spicy food. It is sweet and slightly bitter, but it somehow actually helps to take away the burning sensation after eating food with lots of red pepper such as Sichuan cuisine. People also use it as a medicine to relieve fevers and other "heat"-related health issues. It can be bought in cans just like cola for about 3.5 RMB or about 50 cents USD and is sold almost everywhere pop is sold. It is also served as a tea in cups in little tea shops.

Popular Shopping Sites

Street Markets

There are both expensive shopping districts and commodity-level areas in Guangzhou where a lot of people from many countries shop to buy bargains for export.

Malls and Shopping Centers for Clothes and Shoes

Global International Shoes Trade Center 国际鞋城步云天地
This is a world of shoes with lots and lots of shops. All kinds of locally made shoes can be found. Prices are very cheap. Generally speaking, people can pay about 150 to 200 RMB (about 20 or 30 USD) for a pair of shoes that might sell for two or three times or more in the US.
Address: Zhan Xi Road #26 广州市站西路26号步云天地

Beijing Road 北京西路
Beijing Road (Beijing Lu) is located in the Guangzhou city center area. It is very easy to get to by taking the metro to the Gongyuan Qian Station. This pedestrian street that is hundreds of meters long is crammed full of shops big and small. They sell almost everything imaginable. Remember to bargain for it. It gets really crowded on the weekends. You will be like a local.

Mouse Street Shopping Center 老鼠街
Mouse Street (Lao Shu Jie) is also known as "Women's Street" (Nu Ren Jie). It is in the northern part of China Plaza on Zhong Shan Road. Hundreds of stores sell locally produced and name-brand clothes, shoes, and accessories. Things are cheaper than in Beijing Road, but the place is more crowded. Bargaining is essential.

Shangxiajiu Pedestrian Street 上下九步行街
It ranks first among pedestrian streets in Guangzhou and has developed its own business model of "Xiguan" This word usually means "Western Guangzhou Culture." It has a long history, and there are good restaurants and hotels such as Taotaoju Restaurant, Qingping Hotel and Yong'an Company.
Address: On the junction of Shangjiu Road and Xiajiu Road.

The Palace Mall in China Hotel 中酒名店城
The Palace Mall in China Hotel is a famous place for visitors enjoying leisure and shopping. Hundreds of stores offer world famous brand fashions including Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Fendi, Ferragamo and Hugo Boss. China Hotel offers dining and entertainment services besides shopping.
Address: The 1st Floor, China Hotel, No.100, Liuhua Road, Yuexiu District (广州市越秀区流花路100号中国大酒店一楼)

Haizhu Square 海珠广场
Haizhu Square has a huge wholesale/flea market that was built in 1952. It is the only riverside square in Guangzhou. You will find all kinds of goods on sale: toys, souvenirs, electronics, dried food, household items, clothes, lamps, artificial flowers and much more. Remember to bargain.

Zhuangyuan Fang 状元坊
Commodities in Zhuangyuan Fang are priced in the mass consumption levels. Zhuangyuan Fang is a small alley only about 200 meters, but it attracts plenty visitors everyday by its fashionable clothes, ornaments and trinkets. It is a popular place among the young people.
Address: Zhuangyuan Fang, Renmin Nan Lu (人民南路状元坊)

Huale Road 华乐路
Huale Road is just behind the Garden Hotel. The Garden Hotel is a big and surprisingly luxurious hotel in Guangzhou, judging from the public sitting areas. The hotel is a Guangzhou landmark. Huale Road is a center for fashion clothing and has many trendy boutiques.

Nonglinxia Xialu Commercial Street 农林下路商业街
Nonglinxia Lu Commercial Street is the largest commercial district in Dongshan District. Most commodities are priced in middle range. The main commodities in the street are clothes, shoes, bags and characteristic snacks.
Address: Nonglinxia Road, Dongshan District, Guangzho (广州市农林下路)

Popular Front 流行前线
Popular Front offers all kinds of snacks from Japan, America and Taiwan. Numerous fashion products can meet the demands of those people interested in Japanese and South Korean fashion.
Address: No.25-27, Zhongshan Road, Yuexiu Districet (越秀区中山路25-27号)

Gifts

Xiguan Antique Street 西关古玩城
The market has many shops for collectors and sells everything from ceramic teapots to Tibetan rugs.
Address: No. 88 Wenchang Nan Road, Liwan District.

Qingping Market 清平市场
Qingping Market is a very popular market among the local people. There are hundreds of shops or stands with food, herbs, seafood, birds, pets, flowers and plants for sale. Local people in nearby neighborhoods go grocery shopping at the market. It is worth spending some time wandering at the market, and visitors can get a close look at how local people live their daily life. Be prepared for what might be considered less than sanitary conditions or mistreatment of animals and lots of crowds.
Address: 92 Qingping Road, Liwan District.

Jade Street 玉器街
Jade Street is filled with thousands of small shops selling jade items. Foreigners may have problems finding the street.
Address: Changshou Lu (长寿路) and Wenchang Lu (文昌路); near Shangxiajiu Pedestrian Street. You can take Metro Line 1 and get off at Chang Shou Lu. You can show this to the taxi driver.

Yuansheng Ceram and Jade Craft Street 源胜陶瓷玉石工艺街
Yuansheng Craft Street is the largest terminal market of crafts made from ceram or jade. Near thousand stores offer various quality crafts including Jingdezhen china, Yixing dark-red enameled pottery, Fujian shoushan stone, Burma jade and so on.
Address: North Wenchang Road, Liwan District 荔湾区文昌北路

Book Store

Guangzhou Book Center
It will probably be hard to find books in foreign languages, except some in English. It is a big bookstore in Guangzhou. The Guangzhou Book Center has a huge range of books including English translations of Chinese classics as well as English classics aimed at Chinese students, Chinese-language textbooks and English-Chinese dictionaries.
Address: 123 Tian He Lu; next to the Guangzhou Tianhe Sports Center.

For the Household and Eletronic Products

Building materials: Markets for building materials mainly concentrated in Nanan Road (南岸路), Danan Road (大南路) and Taikang Road (泰康路).
For example: No.30 Nanan Decorative Material Market.

Furniture and the Household: The biggest furniture market in Guangzhou is the one located in Baogang Avenue Haizhu District (海珠区宝岗大道). Another recommended leading furniture store: Meiju Center Area D (美居中心D座) in Guangzhou is located in 68, Huangpu Avenue, Tianhe District (天河区黄埔大道68号).

Electronic products
1. Haiyin Square (海印广场) is the most famous one for electronic products in Guangzhou.
Address: No.21, Dashatou Road, Yuexiu District（越秀区大沙头路21号）
Tel: 020-83794101.

2. Haiyin Computer City (海印电脑城)
Address: No 56-58, Donghu Road, Yuexiu District
Tel: 020-83792930

Textile and Leather Markets

Zhongda Cloth Market 中大布场
Zhongda Cloth Market is the largest distributing center for cloth in Guangzhou now. Cloth, knitting wool and garment ornaments in all grades are all available there. The goods there feature affordable, complete and fashionable, and the market is really popular in Guangzhou.
Address: Ruikang Road, Guangzhou, China (广州市瑞康路)
Tel: 020-84194260, 84185324

Tianxiong Texitile Village 天雄纺织城
Tianxiong Texitile Village is a large terminal market for all kinds of cloth, including knitting, chemical fiber, cotton weaving, linen, and silk made in home and abroad. Even leather and garment ornaments are also available there. It is a prosperous market gathering more than 700 enterprises.
Address: Dechang Road, South of Guanghzou Avenue, Guangzhou (广州市广州大道南德昌路)
Tel: 020-84296543

Zhong’ao Trade City for Leather Products 中澳商贸城
Zhong’ao Trade City is a market for leather products. The trade city is quite near Guangzhou Bus Station, Railway Station and Baiyun International Airport. Generally speaking, the leather products there are in middle or high classes. Customers and merchants from the world can enjoy their shopping in the two-story market building.
Address: No.1107-1111, Jiefang Bei Road, Guangzhou (广州市解放北路1107-1111号)
Tel: 020-86692052

Wedding Dress Shopping Street 婚纱一条街
In Guangzhou there is a street specializing in selling wedding gowns, wedding shoes and related products. They are available for rent, retail and wholesale. It is the largest wedding dress market in Guangdong Province. The style, quality and price cover a wide range, from traditional Chinese to western wedding dresses.
Address: North of Jiangnan Avenue, near Zhujiang Bridge
Public bus: No. 9, 13, 35, 87, 178, 180, 239, 244, 253, 299, 544 or 546

Others

Nanfang Tea Market 南方茶叶总汇
Nanfang Tea Market is boasted as one of the most complete market in China for famous tea, tea sets and artwares themed tea. The market covers an area of about 20,000 square meters (215, 278 square ft), converging mire than 300 shops.
Address: No.8-10, Qishi Road, Fangcun District (广州市芳村区洞企石路8-10号)
Tel: 020-81590208