While Hangzhou is rich in natural scenery and cultural heritage, Hangzhou shopping is special too. As a China Tour Agency using local tour guides, we know all the very best places to shop and these are detailed below. Why not join us on a tour of Hangzhou and you will experience the best of Hangzhou shopping opportunities with a knowledgeable local bilingual tour guide?
With history dominating any Hangzhou – it’s been named a Historic and Cultural City by the Chinese Government – Hangzhou shopping might seem a lightweight activity by comparison. However, Hangzhou combines the best of Chinese tradition and contemporary trends to create a unique memory of visiting China.
Avoiding all commission-based shopping stops, you’ll find a Hangzhou shopping, featuring traditional Hangzhou tea, silk, and Wangzingji fans, and modern shopping malls, the ideal way to take home a little piece of China from your tour.
Hangzhou shopping: silk, tea, and fans ancient treasures for a modern traveler
Hangzhou Silk: Luxurious, beautiful, wearable
Known historically and today as the Silk City, Hangzhou silk is China’s undisputed capital of silk.
For more than 4000 years, Hangzhou silk has been revered for its luxurious texture, brilliant colors, and gorgeous patterns depicting authentic Chinese designs.
The reputation of Hangzhou silk now goes well beyond the city’s border, and both local Chinese and foreign travelers seeking out the perfect travel memento.
There’s no doubt you’ll be surrounded by silk clothing and trinkets everywhere you go in Hangzhou, but ask your local guide to show you only the very best Hangzhou silk. Seeking out the perfect gift for family, or just a great travel memory? A Hangzhou silk scarf ticks all the boxes. Buying something silk is a must item when shopping in Hangzhou.
Discover more at Hangzhou China Silk Town, 267 Xinhua Road, Hangzhou.
Hangzhou Tea: Fragrant and refreshing
Hangzhou tea has an established place among China’s nation of tea drinkers.
Known as Dragon Well Tea or Longjing tea, Hangzhou tea is famous for its emerald green color, mellow taste, and beautiful flat leaves.
With Chinese people esteeming Hangzhou tea as a life elixir, you’ll want the perfect pack to take home. Can’t decide which one? No problem. Be sure to visit one of the local tea shops and sample the many tea varieties available or mix with locals and savor the local tea culture firsthand when you step into a traditional tea house. Lion Mount Lonjing, hand-picked at Lion Mount, is among the very best tea you’ll find.
And if an up close and real experience of Hangzhou tea is what you’re after, make your way to Hangzhou’s ‘West Lake Tea Plantations. Growing some of the finest green tea leaves in China, tea from here has warmed the hearts, and maintained the health, of local and Chinese people for millennia.
An Hangzhou shopping trip is not complete without a break to experiment and savor the local tea.
Our tip? Head to Hangzhou’s Longjing Village or Miejiawu Tea Village if you’re a tea lover. Enjoy the experience of selecting a quality tea, while learning more about China’s rich and its long, delicious history.
Wangxingji Fan Co: Form, function, art
Handcrafted and beautiful works of art, Hangzhou fans were used as an imperial tribute in ancient times.
While Chinese fans can be found in every tourist strip, an authentic handmade fan is a piece of art.
Ask your tour guide for directions to the best-known brand, Wangxingji Fan Co. Commencing operations in 1875, a Wangxingji fan is a treasure. Building on the reputation of its founder, Wang Xinzai, Wangxingji fan is distinctive for its craftwork, design, and materials used.
Now integrating feathers, silk, black paper, and sandalwood, Wangxingji fans are beautifully decorated with the scenery of mountains and rivers, Chinese animals, and intricate flowers or figures. Graceful and elegant, they are ideal mementos of your visit to Hangzhou.
Go to No 62 Renhe Road, Shangcheng District, Hangzhou for a beautiful Wangxingji fan.
Hangzhou shopping: Wulin Square, Hubin Shopping District, Hefang Street, and Wulin Road
Although shopping in large commercial malls on your China tour may not be high on your agenda, after the ancient history that’s everywhere, you might be after a short break. Hangzhou’s main commercial centers offer just that.
Wulin Square is Hangzhou’s largest and most extravagant shopping district. You can’t go more than a few feet without finding a dazzling variety of shops and department stores.
Hangzhou Mansion and the Intime Department Store are very popular with locals. With China’s fascination for Western luxury brands, here you’ll find Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Hermes, Gucci, and so on. The Hangzhou Department Store is also a fantastic Hangzhou shopping destination, advertising huge discounts and year-round deals.
Peckish? Offering every taste imaginable, Italian, French and Spanish restaurants, as well as local Chinese food, there’s no shortage of food options.
If a contemporary shopping fix is what you’re after in Hangzhou try:
Hangzhou Mansion – 1 Wulin Square, Hangzhou
Hangzhou Department Store – 546 Yan’an Road, Hangzhou
Intime Department Store – 530 Yan’an Road, Hangzhou
Hubin Shopping District
Hubin Shopping District is central to the famous West Lake which serves as a perfect backdrop for the thriving fashion hub.
Bursting with magnificent malls and luxury designer outlets, the Hubin International Boutique Compound is a standout in the area. Composed of 34 international designer boutiques, this deluxe district attracts shoppers from far and wide with its cosmopolitan vibe, glamorous fashion and big-brand names, including Ferrari, Armani, Hermes, Dolce & Gabbana, and Omega.
Recommended shopping near Hubin shopping district:
- West Lake Times Square – 27 Qingchun Road, Hangzhou
- Hubin International Boutique Compound – 129 Pinghai Road, Shangcheng District, Hangzhou
Hefang Street
A stone’s throw from West Lake is Hefang Street. Bustling ancient shops, authentic-style restaurants, and tea houses tucked away in traditional-style buildings, there are real experiences of China to be had here.
Find Hangzhou shopping stores with trinkets from antiquity, selling various antiques and souvenirs of Hangzhou, including jade jewelry, pearls, Hangzhou silk, handicrafts, toys, traditional Chinese medicines, and local foods. Once the old Hangzhou quarter, this area maintains ideals from the Ming and Qing dynasties. It makes a perfect destination for foreign travelers. Wander freely here and experience the ancient Chinese customs and culture of Hangzhou.
For highlights, look out for the Wangjixing Fan Shop, Wangruixing Restaurant, and the Weng Longsheng Tea Shop.
Wulin Road
Wulin Road is known as Women Street and is a haven for ladies’ fashion.
Fashionistas frequent here to update their wardrobes, as the road is lined with an incredible collection of over 1000 boutique shops. Stretching over 1.5 kilometers, the vast majority of stores are dedicated to fashionable ladies’ wear of various brands and styles.
Take your time to browse and explore Wulin Road, you’ll be sure to uncover many amazing finds.
Bars and restaurants abound, providing an area to drop once you’ve had your fill of Hangzhou shopping.
Wushan Night Market
Don’t waste a single minute on your China tour. Hangzhou nights are for exploring too, and what better way than the Wushan Night Market.
Wushan Night Market is one of the best stops to shop or simply hang out at night in Hangzhou. Just before sunset, vendors in their makeshift stalls start popping up with a vast array of goods. About four hundred in total, the Wushan Night Market has a festive, carnival-like atmosphere. Find bargains on clothes, handmade souvenirs, and antiques.
Food snacks are a highlight at the Wushan Night Market. Take advantage of the flexibility around food on your visit to China and experiment with a variety of tastes.
Buyer be warned, though. Come ready to bargain. Our local guides can help you barter well and take home a bargain…
Drop by Yuewang Road, Shangcheng District, Hangzhou’ from 5pm and experience the magic!
Hangzhou remains a beautiful destination for its breathtaking historical and natural sights, however, Hangzhou shopping also offers unique experiences too.
Visit China with ChinaTours.com
When you tour Hangzhou with ChinaTours.com, your professional guide will use their expertise to help you to avoid crowds, see more, discover the best photography locations, and provide you with an experience of the real Hangzhou unlike any other.
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About the author
Yunnan trips, to Kunming, Dali, Lijiang, Shangri-la
