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Shopping tips and shopping opportunities:

• The small hotel shops within a hotel are normally limited to a kiosk-like selection (films, cigarettes, drinks, post cards, etc.).
• In stores and shopping malls prices are fixed, bargaining is not an option. In metropolitan areas like Beijing, Shanghai stores and malls are open from Mon. – Sun. 09.00h (9 a.m.) – 20.00 h (8 p. m.) , some are open until 21.00 h (9 p. m.)
• Small presents can be found in regional factories and / or businesses which are specialized in craftwork. They usually offer a colourful mixture of Silk, Jade, Porcelain, Chinese picture rolls, handicraft products with lacquer, stones and wood. Besides all of that, dragons, stamps of stone and traditional medicine are quite often precious memorabilia. Over the last 2.000 years evolved the Chinese medicine, which can cure with the legendary Yin – Yang theory, some patients even without an operation. Chinese medical tradition is widely accepted and a considered medical option in Europe and America, actually all around the world, today.
• The free and open street markets have no fixed pricing – here you can, or better, you have to bargain!

Gemstones and Craftwork

Jade

In China, Jade is considered the stone of stones. Similar to the appreciation of gold in the West, Jade emits for Chinese people magical attraction. Chinese love Jade's pliancy, the fine cloudy grain and deep radiance. In ancient times Jade has been valued for the divine properties, believed to dispend life's energy and has been worked up for charms and objects even for sacred rituals. One can find in China little figurines made from Jade, dating back as early as the Neolithic Age. That's remarkable, since Jade is not found in China and has to be brought in from Central Asia.

 

Jade as well as the Chinese Yu is not distinct mineralogical termini, but rather generic terms, under which different minerals are subsumed.  The Chinese people use the term Jade for a variety of beautiful stones, which are hart and pliable and emit a degree of brilliance: Nephrite, Jadeite, Serpentine, Crystal, Agate and Steatite. In the West the term Jade is only linked to two different kinds of stone, namely Nephrite, a Calcium-Magnesium-Silicate, and Jadeite a Sodium-Aluminium Silicate. Nephrite and Jadeite display an array of different hues of colours, pending on the respective content of Iron, Manganese, or Chromium. Those hues can be rather white, beige, green, lavender, sometimes even almost black. Connoisseurs appreciate especially the luscious, fat - glossy white of the Nephrite and Jadeite in gleaming emerald-like green tinge.

 

Since the Neolithic Age, Nephrite is imported by the Chinese from the Central Asiatic Kunlun – Mountain range. Nephrite is mined for in the north-western areas where these gemstones are historically found. China dominates de facto the mining industry since the 18th century. In earlier times Chinese restricted themselves only to artwork and finishing of the imported stones.

 

Pearl

Pearls account for one of the oldest kind of jewellery, known to humans. In the ancient world, i. e. during the Roman Empire, it was only the privilege of the crowned royals, to wear precious adornments made of pearls. Pearls reflected the highest degree of status symbol, to that point, that it was even prohibited by law for the common people wearing pearls. The Pearl has been and still is, the beloved darling of the world, and exceeds with highest appreciation even the inherent value of precious gemstones.    

 

The title "PEARL" or "Genuine PEARL" or "Oriental-PEARL" is only legitimate for naturally found pearls, all other kinds of pearls are considered "Cultured – pearls". In China we distinguish between two kinds of pearls: "Sea/-Saltwater – culture pearls" and Freshwater – culture pearls .

 

1. Sea-Saltwater – Cultured Pearls

In the South –China Sea lives the "silver-lipped pearl-oyster" in which the most expansive and treasured cultured pearls develop: the "South-Sea cultured pearl"  This gorgeous pearls are cultivated for sizes from 10 mm up and captivate with their unique colours of brilliant silvery-white, white-rose´, crème – white, a wonderful colour-spectrum even with rare hues of gold.

Although quite a lot of pearl farms exist, the harvest quantities are marginal which makes it in turn very difficult to find enough pearls in the same size, form, colour and the same lustre. Because of this it's almost impossible or time intensive, respectively, to make i. e. a South-Sea pearl-chain, with all pearls as identical as possible. Such a pearl-chain would presumably be invaluable.

 

2. Freshwater Cultured Pearls

The term freshwater culture-pearl defines pearls which are cultivated in inland freshwaters, hence not salty waters. The most reputed of this kind is the "Taihu – Pearl", which is widely sought after in all of China. As of today the lion's share of freshwater cultured pearls are produced in China and the market for such pearls is booming worldwide. Freshwater culture pearls mature considerable faster than saltwater – culture pearls. Therefore the prices for freshwater culture pearls are more favourable. Today, it's possible to cultivate almost around freshwater pearls in sizes up to 8 mm. Beijingand also Wuxi are good places to obtain some favourable priced freshwater cultured pearls.   

Of course handcrafts made out of Jade and pearls are available, but first and foremost classic .

 

Chinese craftwork is:

Chinese Cloisonne

The manufacturing process of Cloisonne is labour- and time intensive beyond comprehension.

 

Firstly, the desired patterns and ornaments are painted on the metal walls by the means of bushes. Secondly, fine wires of brass, copper or gold are soldered or glued to the metal walls in such a way, that the walls are parted in framed sections. Parallel to this work little pieces of enamel will be knocked of prefabricated enamel blocks and pulverized into fine powder. To obtain the desired colouring metallic oxide is mixed with the enamel powder: copper oxide for green and turquoise hues, antimony for yellow, manganese oxide for red, cobalt for blue nuances, just to name a few out of an array of options. By adding water a colourful mass is created, which is applied as a filling up to the edge of the wire bar of the respective cells on the metal walls. This is done with scrapers or palette knives. Thirdly, the container is shoved into the kiln or furnace, than baked with 850 degrees C and withdrawn from the kiln after a couple of minutes. Due to the heat water evaporates at once, the remaining glassy flow fills in every fissure in the cell and shrinks by about 1/3 of the volume. The process has to be repeated until the molten enamel flows over the wire bars. Now the polish process can start. While abrading with sandstone the blank metal will reappear – the wires become visible and give the product the characteristic "golden netting" look.

 

Decor and shapes of objects manufactured in the Cloisonne technique are done by the Chinese craft-worker in accordance with exactly defined examples, which are derived from the long traditions of working with bronze and porcelain. Pending on the designed function of the object – vase, incense burner, candle holder, bowl, sceptre, cups – the décor elements are applied accordingly. Predominant are floral patterns in the shape of the lotus flower as a symbol for purity, the plum blossom reflects old age, the Chrysanthemum stands for nobles, bamboo for tenacity and resistibility and many twines reflect symbols of family relationship, family tree and progeny.

Lacquer Products

In China lacquer products from Fuzhou (Foochow) are well known. Products from here are exported to 40 countries worldwide. The local lacquer industry dates back to the 18th century. 1907 a special lacquer research- and vocational training institute in Fuzhou was founded. The government supports and advances this tradition.

 

The Fuzhou lacquer products are not only beautiful but very practical indeed, light and firm at the same time, resistant towards corrosion, with excellent isolating properties. Besides being tasteful vases and tea sets, lacquer can be used even as shapely, attractive car dashboards. 

 

Every piece of lacquer product has to pass through 30 to 100 manufacturing processes. The lacquer is being applied onto an underlay of clay or gypsum, which will be smashed and removed after the drying of the lacquer. For the adornment gold, silver or mother of pearl will be used as inlays or the mirror-like surface artfully painted. Archaeologists have encountered lacquer objects made in the bronze - age. In these days lacquer objects were appreciated ten times the face value of a congruent bronze counter pieces. Still today, lacquer objects are held with the highest esteem by art connoisseurs.

The Sancai - Ceramic    

The Sancai ceramic, or three-colour-glaze technique, is world famous. This technique evolved during the Tang Dynasty. With the glazes it's mostly all about a intense green, yellow or brown. Sancai ceramics can be found along with the tomb figures of the Tang Dynasty: horses, camels, guards depicted in animal and human shapes, court ladies and appointees. Seladon ceramics, characteristic for the Song Dynasty, were technically perfect with their typical hues of celadon to moss green, wanly blue or wanly grey, to the point of brown tones. During the Yuan Dynasty were under-glaze painting techniques from Persia applied to obtain the characteristic cobalt blue colour. Figures, landscapes and theatre scenes are during the following Ming era recurring and favoured motives. At the beginning of the Qing Dynasty reached the blue-white-porcelain the highest quality.

 

Since the 14th century Jingdezhen has been the centre of porcelain manufacturing. Today porcelain can be obtained to relatively favourable prices all over China. However, old and antiquarian pieces are barely found since the sale of such pieces is prohibited by law.

 

The figures are abundantly decorated, horses are saddled and feature pompous bridle. The Sancai ceramic has been found generally close to Chang'an (Xi'an) and Luoyang and the ceramics age is dated back to the Tang Dynasty (618 – 907).

 

Batik (Tie-Dye)

Batik is a centuries old art of fabric colouring techniques which were widely used within China and all areas in East-Asia. Batik was introduced to Europe only about some 100 years ago. The technique itself is very old. The meaning of "to batik" is "to write or to paint" and is executed with improvisation which creates the intrinsic value and charm of this artwork.

 

The Batik art in the South-West of China (i. e. City of Dali, Province Yunnan) is widely recognized. The houses where batik is created are dwelling houses at the same time. From outside these houses can't be distinguished from regular residential homes of the Bai people. One can shop here for handmade and low-priced Batiks and given the curiosity of the visitor also eyewitness the interesting manufacturing processes.

 

A piece of white cotton changes into various batiks, while it will be passed through different processes requiring a high degree of experience: Preparation of the garment, to apply the patterns, sewing and setting, colouring, tackling the threads, bleaching, drying in the sun and smoothing it out with an iron. The Chinese manual and description for Batik "Zaran" states, that sewing, setting and the colouring process are the most important steps.

 

Batiks are predominantly blue, yet there are also some in green, brown, lilac, all of them correspond with a clear white in harmony. The colour contrast catches someone's eye even from the distance right away. Because of the sewing and setting, the final product features characteristic cuttings as well as regular pinholes which gives the Batik a distinct character of ethnic art. In art lessons is the technique of the Chinese batik learned and passed on to the next generation.

 

Silk, Silk Paintings and Silk Carpets 

Already in ancient times constituted silk China's excellent world-wide reputation. Today the silk production accounts for one of the most interesting products in the country, especially because of the low wages paid. Equally labour intensive in production and therefore notably competitive priced in China is clothing fabricated with Kashmir – wool. For both product lines "Friendship stores" are considered as the most important providers. The silk markets offer silk draperies quite cheap. Most of the products are in design and size tailored to the European or American market. However, the shopper should pay attention to inclined seams, inclined pockets or other defects of fabrication.

 

Also silk paintings, dating back to 2640 B. C. comes from China, which is assumed to be the country of origin for silk. Via the trade routes came eventually not only silk, but also the art and technique of silk painting to Europe. 

 

China's knotted silk carpets are manufactured in state owned companies, created by hand and centrally exported to western countries. The manufacturers are spread all over the country, but the prevalent cities and regions for silk manufacturing are among others Beijing, Canton, Xi'an, Gansu, and Karshgar. They are exported out of China and are rather rare at this  moment.

 

Good Chinese silk carpets are 100 % guaranteed hand knotted. Those wonderful carpets are treasures, which are created over many months of meticulous handwork. Obviously can the carpets be seen, inspected and bought.

 

Porcelain

Whoever wants to take home an original Ming-Vase, Beijing not at the right place to look for, since export restrictions do not allow such a buy. On the other hand, antique stores offer many   beautiful pieces, manufactured towards the end of the era of the emperor. Somewhat more favourable priced but not cheap are reproductions of old porcelain. The store with a huge selection of new and classic designs is the Beijing Jingdezhen Porcelain Joint Company. The merchandise comes from Jingdezhen, the little town, which is still remembered as the world's leading centre for porcelain manufacturing from the 13th to the 18th century, also accommodating the legendary imperial manufacture

 

Silhouette Cutting (Paper Cut)

During the Chinese New Year or Spring Festival in many parts of the country prevails the old Tradition to adhere silhouettes in different patterns to windows and doors, emphasizing the festive and merry atmosphere of during the holidays.

 

Silhouette cutting represents one of the most spread over folks and popular art forms in China. It's not precisely clear at which point in time silhouettes appeared the first time. It is commonly assumed and believed, that silhouettes had their origin in ancient religious, prayer- and funeral ceremonies. In those times silhouettes of animals and figures were cut out with scissors or knives and than placed into the grave with the death or burnt during such a ceremony. 1000 years ago silhouettes were more and more cut and used for decoration means.

 

According to historical documents dating back to the Tang-dynasty (618 – 907), women used silhouettes as headdress. In this era appear also silhouettes in the shape of butterflies, to greet springtime. During the Song-dynasty (12th century) presents were decorated with silhouettes. The silhouettes had been fixed to doors, windows, walls, mirrors or lampions. The first professional silhouette artists appeared.

 

Silhouettes are pure handicraft. Obtaining basic knowledge is not difficult at all, what one needs is scissors and a piece of paper. Experts need different kinds of scissors and stylus of different sizes to create complex patterns successfully. One or more silhouettes can be made out of one original pattern. A simple shape or pattern can be cut directly with the scissors, while a more complicated one requires first the printing of the pattern on the paper, followed by an exact cutting with the adequate stylus, which is selected out of an array of tools in different sizes. There is no margin of error, otherwise all the hard work was for nothing.

The motives of the silhouettes can be arranged in many categories. Among others are i. e. flowers and birds, fishes and insects, little animals, human figures derived from popular legends or from classical literary works or masks of the Peking Opera. Almost anything can be taken as a motive for silhouettes.

 

Since people in different parts of China have different habits and different imaginations, the respective silhouettes are reflections of the people's own distinctiveness. While silhouettes in northern China are rather naive and brisk by using larger motives, reflect silhouettes from South China especially fine filigree, most likely influenced by the present waterways. Regardless of the motive the rule of thumb applies, that the silhouettes have to be always authentic and artful.

In earlier times the women in the countryside congregated during their leisure times in fall and created silhouettes. Every girl had to learn the art and be skilful in this trade, interesting the fact, that her dexterity was considered as criteria of her qualities as a future bride.

Meanwhile, in the course of the social development, the art of silhouette cutting is no longer transferred from generation to generation. Many people value this handicraft rather as a specific profession in artwork. In the meantime all over China one can find artwork companies for silhouettes, a national association for in silhouettes interested people, frequent silhouette exhibitions and correlative publications. The silhouettes evolved out from being a practical decoration to a respected art form. The motives for the silhouettes developed continuously as well. Even other arts adopted the unique way of expressions with silhouettes.   Today, the influence of the traditional silhouettes can be recognized and found in picture books, newspaper headers, in stagecraft, book design and in film and television.

 

Bronze

Being composed of copper, tin and lead, bronze represents the earliest alloying in the history of smelting and of metal processing.

 

Already in the early times of the Xia-Dynasty bronze was used the first time and lead China to its own bronze age. When bronze's popularity peaked it was used for ritual objects, music instruments, weapons and container for the storage of provisions and water. The bronze objects, especially containers, were decorated with ever refined artworks. Most commonly present were, animal faces, dragons and phoenix.

 

The quadratic Din, made during the eastern Zhou-dynasty shows, that the smelting technique was executed on a high technical level. As technology progressed, bronze container were successively substituted with iron. This shift happened mainly during the Qin and the western Han Dynasty. Later bronze has been used for mirrors.