The Best Local Crafts and Souvenirs in Beijing
Oil-paper umbrellas, vintage wood furniture, Chinese-crafted cloisonné ceramics, handbags, and tongue-in-cheek T-shirts... Shoppers tired of low-quality souvenir markets should explore Beijing’s lively art and design scene for unique mementos.
Guozijian Street
Located off the busy streets in the middle of a quiet hutong alley, this store has gone from modest to modern chic, and has moved into beautiful furniture. They used to have beautiful laser-cut wood accessories made by Chinese designers and have now diversified into bags, and men’s and women’s clothing. Definitely worth a visit, it’s also a lovely, quiet walk in the alleyway. You’ll also stumble by Arrow Factory, a great gallery, along the way.
61号 South Luogu Alley
If you’re looking for something more original than the ubiquitous “I climbed the Great Wall” T-shirt, then look no further. Plastered is an original design T-shirt shop that specializes in tongue-in-cheek treatments of Chinese and Beijing culture. You will find such things as shirts with a stained glass portrait of Mao or Lei Feng, Communist Revolution propaganda-style T-shirts designed by Beijing tattoo artists, and many other one-of-a-kind T-shirts and hoodies. The shirts cost ¥145 and hoodies cost ¥250. Plastered T-Shirts is in the heart of Nanlouguxiang and is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week.
