Yixing travel guide - where to stay, what to do, and where to eat in Yixing, Jiangsu, China.
Best souvenirs
Authentic items worth bringing home.
Zisha (purple clay) teapot
Where: Shushan Ancient South Street workshops or the Ceramics Museum shop; ask for a clay-type certificate
Yangxian tea (red and green)
Where: Tea shops on Shushan Ancient South Street and Renmin Middle Road
Zisha tea trays, cups and small figures
Where: Ceramics Museum shop and Shushan street galleries
Dried bamboo shoots and rice cakes
Where: Dingshu morning market and Jiaoqiaohe pedestrian street
Traditional markets
Where locals shop and travellers find treasures.
Dingshu morning market
Shushan Ancient South Street
Shopping districts
Neighbourhoods known for retail.
Shushan Ancient South Street
Yixing Ceramics Museum shop
Jiaoqiaohe Pedestrian Street
Wanda Plaza
Renmin Middle Road shopping strip
Malls & modern shopping
Air-conditioned, international brands, and food courts.
Wanda Plaza
Bargaining tips
Negotiate like a local.
Ask for the clay type (zini, hongni or duanni) and a signed certificate
Compare prices at two workshops before buying
Bargaining is normal for handmade teapots; offer 70-80 percent of the first price; fixed-price at malls
Customs & restrictions
What you can and can't take home.
Alipay and WeChat Pay are standard; foreign cards are accepted at few small shops, Teapots are fragile: ask the shop to pack them in a box for air travel