Anhui is an inland province in eastern China, best known for the granite peaks of Huangshan (Yellow Mountain), the UNESCO-listed Huizhou villages of Hongcun and Xidi, and the Buddhist mountain of Jiuhua Shan. Its capital and largest city is Hefei. Anhui is the home of Hui cuisine, Xuan paper and Hui ink, and some of China's most famous teas. It has no sea coast, but the Yangtze River, Chaohu Lake and Taiping Lake give it plenty of waterfront.
Best souvenirs
Authentic items worth bringing home.
Taiping Houkui (太平猴魁)
A famous flat-leaf green tea grown in Taiping, Huangshan District; the leaves are long, flat and dark green, with an orchid-like aroma
Price: CNY 150-1,500 per 100g (~$22-225)
Where: Tunxi Old Street tea shops and direct from growers around Taiping in spring
Huangshan Maofeng (黄山毛峰)
A fine downy green tea from the Huangshan area, with tender buds and a fresh chestnut fragrance
Price: CNY 100-1,000 per 100g (~$15-150)
Where: Tunxi Old Street and Tangkou town tea shops
Keemun Black Tea (祁门红茶)
One of China's famous teas and a classic black tea used in English Breakfast blends, grown in Qimen County
Price: CNY 80-800 per 100g (~$12-120)
Where: Tunxi tea shops, Qimen county tea outlets, Hefei tea shops
She Inkstone (歙砚)
One of the four famous Chinese inkstones, carved from stone quarried around Shexian; prized for its fine texture
Price: CNY 200-5,000+ (~$30-750)
Where: Huizhou Ancient City (Shexian) and Tunxi Old Street specialist shops
Hui Ink (徽墨)
Traditional soot ink sticks from Huizhou and Shexian, known for durability and scent; often sold in decorative boxes
Price: CNY 50-1,500 per set (~$7.50-225)
Where: Tunxi Old Street and Huizhou Ancient City
Xuan Paper (宣纸)
Handmade paper from Jingxian County, a UNESCO-listed craft, prized for calligraphy and painting for over 1,000 years
Price: CNY 20-1,000 per pack (~$3-150)
Where: Jingxian Xuan Paper Cultural Park and Tunxi Old Street stationers
Huizhou Three Carvings (徽州三雕)
Wood, brick and stone carving from Huizhou; souvenir versions include small wood panels and brick-carved plaques
Price: CNY 50-2,000 (~$7.50-300)
Where: Tunxi Old Street, Hongcun and Xidi craft lanes
Wuhu Iron Painting (芜湖铁画)
A local craft where iron is forged into landscape pictures; a Chinese intangible cultural heritage item from Wuhu
Price: CNY 100-3,000 (~$15-450)
Where: Wuhu Zhongshan Road area shops
Dried bamboo shoots and Huizhou specialty foods
Preserved bamboo shoots, dried mushrooms and local pastries sold as packaged gifts
Price: CNY 20-150 (~$3-22)
Where: Tunxi Old Street, Hongcun and Xidi lanes, Hefei Huaihe Road
Traditional markets
Where locals shop and travellers find treasures.
Tunxi Old Street (Tunxi Ancient Street)
An 800-year-old pedestrian shopping street about 1.2 km long with Ming and Qing Huizhou-style shopfronts, considered the best single place in Anhui to buy the Four Treasures of the Study, tea and Huizhou wood carving.
Where: Huangshan (Tunxi) - historic pedestrian street
Hours: Daily about 9AM-10PM
Huizhou Ancient City (Shexian)
The walled Ming-Qing capital of the Huizhou region; workshops and shops near the Xu Guo Stone Archway sell She inkstones and Hui ink, often at fairer prices than tourist streets.
Where: Shexian County, about 30 km from Tunxi
Hours: Daily about 8:30AM-5:30PM
Jingxian Xuan Paper Cultural Park
A cultural park and factory area built around Xuan paper, a UNESCO-listed traditional craft, where visitors can see the papermaking process and buy paper directly from producers.
Where: Jingxian County, Xuancheng
Hours: Daily about 8:30AM-5PM
Hefei Huaihe Road Pedestrian Street
Hefei's traditional pedestrian shopping street, lined with brand shops, department stores and snack vendors; a practical place to buy local tea and packaged specialties.
Where: Hefei - Luyang District, old city core
Hours: Daily about 10AM-10PM
Hefei Chenghuang Temple Commercial Area
A historic temple-fair district in central Hefei that sells traditional snacks, tea, dried goods and crafts, and is a good place for cheap souvenirs.
Where: Hefei - Luyang District, City God Temple area
Hours: Daily about 9AM-9PM
Wuhu Zhongshan Road Pedestrian Street
Wuhu's main pedestrian shopping street, where shoppers can find iron paintings, a local craft, along with snacks and Yangtze river specialties.
Where: Wuhu - Jinghu District, downtown
Hours: Daily about 10AM-10PM
Xidi Village Craft Lanes
Craft stalls and small shops along the lanes of the UNESCO-listed village sell bamboo goods, carved wood pieces and locally grown tea; quality varies, so choose stalls run by the makers themselves.
Where: Yixian County, Huangshan - UNESCO village
Hours: Daily about 8AM-6PM
Hongcun Village Craft Shops
Shops around the Moon Pond in Hongcun sell art students' paintings, local tea, dried bamboo shoots and small carved items; prices are higher near the pond and lower on side lanes.
Where: Yixian County, Huangshan - UNESCO village
Hours: Daily about 8AM-6PM
Shopping districts
Neighbourhoods known for retail.
Malls & modern shopping
Air-conditioned, international brands, and food courts.
Bargaining tips
Negotiate like a local.
Bargaining is normal at street stalls in Tunxi Old Street, Hongcun and Xidi souvenir lanes and at open markets, but not in malls, department stores or fixed-price tea and Xuan paper factory shops
Open at about 50% of the asking price at tourist stalls and settle around 60-70%; walking away politely often produces a better price
For tea, ask to taste and be told the grade and picking date; genuine pre-Qingming Taiping Houkui or Huangshan Maofeng is expensive, so prices far below CNY 300 (~$45) per 100g for top grade are a warning sign
For She inkstones and Hui ink, buy from shops that show the stone or ink material and give a receipt; tourist-street stalls often sell machine-cut stone or cheap ink
Compare three shops before buying and pay by Alipay or WeChat Pay for a traceable record
Customs & restrictions
What you can and can't take home.
Shopkeepers in tea shops will usually brew a few free infusions; tasting does not oblige a purchase, but buying a small packet is polite if the tasting is long, Request a fapiao (official receipt) for anything above CNY 500 (~$75), both for warranty and for export questions, Payment is mainly by Alipay or WeChat Pay; foreign visitors can link an international card to either, and cash is usually still accepted, There is no formal tax-refund scheme at most Anhui shops; large Hefei malls may have designated tax-refund stores, so bring a passport and ask at the customer-service desk, Opening hours are long, typically 9AM-10PM daily, and Tunxi Old Street stays busy until about 10PM