Taiyuan Shopping

Although Taiyuan is not an overly modern or tourist-orientated city, there are still a good number of shopping specialties, both traditional and modern. Of particular interest are the different rice wines that are produced here, most notably Fenjiu Wine. This brand has long been famous throughout the country and is rarely available abroad. The other popular brand is Green Bamboo Leaf Wine (zhuyeqing). The locals here are also very proud of their vinegar, claiming it as one of the four best in China. Other items of interest include the lifelike dough figurines, dates, apples, walnuts, colored glazed-products, fur coats, gold and lacquer inlaid wares, fine glassware, jade carvings and a number of traditional Chinese herbs.

Shops and shopping areas: On Qiaotou Jie, you can find shops selling the local costumes for traditional Chinese operas, including the local Jin Opera. At night, you may go to the night market on Liuxiang Nanlu to hunt for some interesting souvenirs at reasonable prices. At the Friendship Store (Youyi shangdian) at 45 Yingze Dajie you may find an expensive collection of jade handicrafts and high-quality art. You may go hunting for souvenirs at both the Arts and Crafts Store (Gongyi pin shangdian) at 54 Yingze Dajie or at the Antique Store (Guwan shangdian) at 15 Jiefang Lu.