Vacation Packages

After a refreshing sleep from your Beijing Hotel’s room, it’s now time to fall in love again with China’s artful past.

Shopping in Beijing can be a very hectic task, considering the possibility of being lost in traffic, misguided by maps, and experiencing the barriers in communication. Luckily, some hotels are offering services such as shopping assistants to help you with your shopping needs.

If you’re an art enthusiast and is in search for the best of what Beijing can offer, then the streets of Beijing is your treasure box in the making.

Chinese brush pens are very popular among the local artists in China since they use a lot of different kinds of brush pens to create their master pieces. One shop located within the proximity of most Beijing hotels sells a complete line of brushes that painters and students alike, use.

Chinese brush pens are said to be unique because they come in a variety of sizes and textures that are tailor made to suit your individual preference.

For example, a large soft weasel hair brush is used for applying color on a painting that has water lily or lotus leaves on it, while medium sized brushes made from goat or sheep hair is used for controlling difficult outlining stokes. Small brushes on the other hand are best used for very fine outlining. For a variety of effects, hairs from squirrels, rabbits, horses, and chickens are also used.

Mr. Zhang, An owner of a famous brush pen shop and with 50 years of experience in the industry guarantees his customers dependable and good quality brushes. He also engraves special Chinese characters to personalize the brush you want. Your shopping assistant would help you communicate with Mr. Zhang If you wish to have your brushes encrypted with classical Chinese characters.

If you’re not interested in brushes, perhaps you could take a look at other shops around Beijing hotels that sell lovely oil paintings.

In the first floor of Beijing’s largest market you can find Ms. Chen’s art studio. Ms. Chen is a contemporary artist that focuses on Western-style and combined Chinese-western styles of oil paintings. The subject of her painting are mostly about landscapes, figures, and still objects which are very appealing to both tourist and Chinese nationals.

Shopping in Beijing can’t get any better than this, with the help of your shopping assistant, you can be assured of getting the most value out of your money since your shopping assistant not only guides you on what items are cheaper, but they also bargain for you. The shopping assistants are also knowledgeable of Beijing’s shopping geography, ergo, she will be able to take you to the shops that are near your Beijing hotel, saving not only your money but your time as well.

To know more about these personal shopping assistants, you can inquire from your Beijing hotel’s help desk or you can also visit myshoppingbeijing.com for your convenience.

Author E. Larson is a long-time expatriate in Beijing, China. He works with the Xijiao Beijing Hotel and many other beijing hotels. Go to his website on the Xijiao Beijing Hotel here.

After a refreshing rest from your Beijing hotel’s room, it’s again time to explore Beijing’s wonderful world of shopping. If you are looking for that uniquely Asian souvenir, you can ask a shopping assistant to help you find that perfect souvenir your family and friends at home would surely love. Such souvenirs are the silk figurines and the “Sha Yan” kites.

Since then, Silk figurines are included in the top list of China’s most well-liked gift items. With dazzling silk costumes, these dolls for sure will make the recipient very delighted.

Silk figurines are representation of the classical splendor of the Chinese women, showcasing their innate poise and modesty. Every figurine is individually made and crafted by hand to portray unique expressions of the face and posture of the body. You may find dolls in all sorts of positions and forms such as dancing, sitting, and playing an instrument.

These figurines also come with accessories, such as an umbrella, a musical instrument, mini plates, straw hats, and many more.

Given that the figurines are crafted by hand, it will take weeks for a craftsman to finish a single doll. The craftsman should employ much effort and take several steps such as painting, sculpturing, designing dresses and arranging hair. A shop that focuses in making silk figurines can be found in nearby Beijing hotels.

Another good gift that you can buy from Beijing to give your friends back home is Beijing’s popular kite “Sha Yan”. You could have a look at these kites at the kite shop located at You An Men Wai street. They offer a wide range of kites to choose from. They have small kites that are only about 0.33 ft as well as large dragon kites that are as large as 100 ft in length.

“Sha Yan” kites are known for their unique look and structure, a swallow like head attached to four wings that depict different animals such as bats, dragons, and fishes, completes this kite. “Sha Yan” is by far the most popular kite for Beijingers since it is believed that flying these kites bring about wealth, happiness, and luck to wherever or whoever it hovers.

Actually, you could choose a lot of designs other than “Sha Yan”. If you are still a beginner in kite flying, a Triangle kite made of Iron frame and ninon covering would be the best and most suitable choice for you. The price of the kites varies according to its kind and the materials used. Miniature kites are usually sold for RMB 20 each, but if you’re with a shopping assistant, she could surely ask for a discount so that you could purchase it at a much lower cost. These kites for sure will be excellent souvenirs since they depict adorable animals and folk figures. There are a lot more brilliantly crafted kites which are in the form of eagles, fish dragonflies to site some.

After a fun day shopping with your shopping assistant, you might want to spend the remainder of the day at the comfort of your Beijing hotel’s room. For more information about these shopping assistants, you can ask your hotel receptionist or visit myshoppingbeijing.com.

E. Larson is a long-time resident of Beijing, China. He works closely with the Qingzhu Hotel Beijing and many other beijing hotels. Check out his website about the Qingzhu Hotel Beijing here.