Xi'an's swift economic growth has made it one of northwest China's most important cities. It is also a shopper's delight and the shopping options available here can satisfy the most fastidious shopper. The city has both traditional marketplaces alongside modern malls, supermarkets and department stores.

Replicas of the Qin Terra-cotta figures will make great souvenirs!

See our Xian Shopping Guide for some tips on the best places to shop and the some great souvenirs. If you get hungry during your shopping spree, stop for some finger food or relax in one of the Xian Restaurants along the city's shopping streets. For great shopping ideas accross China see our China Shopping Guide.

Xian Shopping Guide

Department Stores

The Century Ginwa Shopping Mall is situated between the Drum Tower and the Bell Tower. The mall was opened in 1998 and is known for its high quality merchandise. Over sixty well-known international brands are available here, including Lancome, Givenchy, Estee Lauder, Dior, Burberry and Bally, to name just a few. This centre of fashion is built around a lovely landscaped square that has great cultural significance.

The Kai Yuan Shopping Mall is opposite the Ginwa Shopping Mall. It is one of Xi'an's biggest department stores and shoppers love everything about the store, from the service and the prices to the quality of the products. Kai Yuan Shopping Mall is the most popular shopping centre in Xi'an.

Supermarkets

There are many supermarkets in Xi'an. They are mostly centred around communities and universities although there are a few in the suburbs and also in the city centre that can be accessed easily.

Markets

Xi'an's old marketplaces are full of shops rich with historical connotations. Some of them are the Xi'an Antique Market, the Wenbaozhai Tour Shopping Centre, and the quaint but interesting Shu Yuan Men or Arts Street, which is laid out like an ancient street. Cloth art and paper-cut folk handicrafts, clay figures of warriors and horses and tri-coloured glazed pottery of the Tang dynasty are some of the treasures found in these markets.

Shu Yuan Men (The Arts Street)

This famous street is behind the Forest of Stone Steles Museum and under the Xi'an City Wall. It is laid out like a street of ancient times. Buildings in the Ming and Qing styles border the slab stone street on both sides. This crowded street sells all kinds of arts and crafts. Tourists love the antiques, jewels, historical relics, folk art, calligraphy, and paintings that are sold here.

Xi'an Antique Market

This market sells every kind of antique, from small coins to large pieces of furniture. Shoppers must, however, be careful about fake pieces. The market is situated near the Small Wild Goose Pagoda, at the intersection of Nan Erhuan Lu or the Southern 2nd Ring Road, and Zhuque Lu.

Peasant Painting Gallery

Both domestic and international visitors throng this gallery. Peasant paintings and other folk arts, such as shadow puppets and paper cuts, are exhibited here. If you want to learn painting or paper cutting, this is the gallery to go to. Professional craftsmen teach the two arts to interested visitors.

One of the most famous galleries exhibiting Shaanxi folk crafts, the Peasant Painting Gallery, is in the eastern suburbs of Xi'an.

Things to buy

Jade 

The Xi'an Jade Carving Factory produces many kinds of exquisitely crafted jade articles and ornaments, such as pendants, bowls, bracelets etc. Jade carving in Xi'an has a history of over five thousand years. Archaeological excavations have unearthed a large number of jade ornaments.

Imitations of the Qin Terracotta Figures

Xi'an ancient culture is known worldwide. The life size terracotta figures of the Qin dynasty are a part of this rich culture and history. They are considered to be the most prominent relic discovered so far. The high degree of skill and craftsmanship visible in the sculpture of these terracotta figures has led them to be labelled as the eighth wonder of the world.

Excellent imitation figures of every conceivable size are available in Shaanxi. The artists and craftsmen of Xi'an make them with an eye on the tourism industry, and thus they are all portable and not unwieldy in shape. These figures make for excellent souvenirs and gifts.

Folk Paper Cuts

Folk paper cut is a Chinese art with a very long history. It has its roots in very ancient times, in the very cradle of Chinese culture, and is an art that has been passed on from one generation to another. This work of art recounts stories of ancient times and Chinese people feel emotionally connected to this art. Shaanxi paper cuts are small pieces of art that use unrestrained and bold themes. 

Frequently used as embroidery patterns, folk paper cuts are also used as window decorations. The windows of the houses on Guanzhong Plain as well as the caves on the Northern Shaanxi Plateau are adorned with this folk art during the Spring Festival. The local people's good wishes are contained in these festive and vivid red paper cuts decorated against white window paper.

Imitations of Tri-coloured Glazed Pottery of the Tang Dynasty

Tri-coloured glazed pottery is a must buy souvenir for visitors to Shaanxi. Xi'an is the main centre of this art form. The glazed wares are still made in the traditional way here. The themes and shapes of these articles are lifelike, bold and bright. The colours are varied and dazzling, and they harmoniously blend into one other. Three colours - yellow, green and brown - are the principal colours used in the glaze, leading to the name tri-coloured glazed pottery.  

With its origin in the Tang dynasty, tri-coloured glazed pottery is called the pearl in the art of ancient Chinese ceramics.

Green Porcelain

Qing Ciqi or green porcelain is the material of choice for making many articles, especially teapots. While lifelike flowers and animals are the most common decorative themes on these articles, blue and green are the most common colours of this porcelain. Besides being very useful and long-lasting, this porcelain is elegant too.  Green porcelain is made by methods that originated in the Song dynasty.

Qin Embroidery

Traditional Chinese embroidery techniques are blended with local features to produce Qin embroidery. Cushions, pillowcases, and tablecloths are the most common products of this art. Folk embroidery is a widely practised art in Shaanxi Province. Southern Shaanxi's embroidered products are elegant and display fine workmanship while northern Shaanxi's embroidery is simpler and very brightly coloured.