When you’ve lived in Beijing for a few winters, you know the folks back home probably won’t squeal with pleasure when unwrapping another tea set / silk scarf / lucky cat / kite this Christmas. (Did we miss any?) So we’ve devised this handy list of Beijing gifts sure to delight their intended recipient or your money back. Figuratively speaking.
For The Foodie: Cleavers, Hot Pots and More
Di’anmen Wai (the street running south from the Drum Tower) is chock full of traditional kitchen hardware shops, mostly selling to the restaurant trade. Which means you can pick up high quality cleavers and woks at a snip (60-300 RMB), along with more unusual gifts like charcoal-fired brass hot pots (the mini ones are super cute), stackable bamboo steamers and more.
How much? 60+ RMB
Where? Browse several stores at the north end of Di’anmen Wai, closest to the Drum Tower
For The Organiser: Capital M Diary
Giving a printed diary branded to a restaurant in another country might seem a bit, well, lame. Were it not for the fact that M’s diaries are quite simply the most fabulous paper product produced by human hands. Pop-ups, pop-outs, maps, card models, games, multimedia and more, all woven into a beautifully designed book that’s packed with historic facts and fun about Beijing and Chinese food. Perhaps best of all, it functions very well as an actual diary, with generous note space and easy navigation.
How much? 350 RMB
Where? Buy at the restaurant or via M’s website
For The Hipster: Fei Yue Trainers
China’s retro trainer brand has kicked up a storm in Europe and the US after being acquired by a French firm, selling for big bucks in trendy retailers like Urban Outfitters (50+ Euros in Paris, 85 USD+ in New York). Yet here in Beijing they go for under 100 RMB! Pick ‘em up from the Fei Yue store on Guozijian, or at Plastered T-Shirts on Nanluoguxiang. Read a more detailed post about the shoes here.
How much? 68-188 RMB
Where? 42 Guozijian (west of Confucius Temple); or Plastered T-Shirts, 61 Nanluoguxiang
For The Art Buff: Martin Barnes Prints (And Bags)
A British artist working in Beijing, we love the way Barnes sees the iconic in the seemingly mundane, like his pop art inspired images of the classic neon chuan’r image that flicker everywhere lamb skewers are grilled. It helps remind us why we first fell in love with the city (although his piece “Happy Smoke Stack” might be an icon too far…)
How much? Prints start at around 1,000 RMB, but you can grab a tote bag for 100 RMB.
Where? All available from brilliant Chinese art website Surge, here
For The Nursery : A Child’s Map of China
Regularly scouring markets and auctions for old photographs and maps, the history buffs at Beijing Postcards discovered this delightful map in a 1944 edition of the Junior Red Cross Magazine. The accompanying descriptions are rather delightful too, with lines like:
[quote]The Lama monks in Tibet live on the highest mountains of the world, while in Yunnan, the Lolos, an aboriginal tribe, travel from peak to peak over long bridges built of ropes. Western China is indeed a romantic and strange land.[/quote]
How much? 450 RMB for a framed print
Where? Email them directly at beijingpostcards@gmail.com or see a list of retailers here.
The Stocking Filler: Great Leap Beer Soap
For the beer lover – now you can wash with it too. Beijing craft brewery GLB has paired up with Youmey Handmade Soaps to create an all natural soap made with coconut oil, brown sugar, other nice things and a big ol’ exfoliating dose of spent grains from their Pale Ale #6 craft beer. Non-alcoholic.
How much? 45 RMB per bar
Where? Buy at the No. 12 Brewpub, or at the Hutong Christmas Fayre on Saturday 13th December.
Interested in browsing hidden or private Beijing boutiques you never even knew existed? Give our Hidden Hutong Boutique Shopping Tour a try.
About the author: Tom O’Malley is Propaganda Secretary at Bespoke Beijing. A lifestyle journalist, guidebook author, glutton and bon vivant, Tom is a tireless crusader for fine food, hospitality and tourist experiences in China’s capital.