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[Virginia9742]

I am going home for a couple months in the summer, and I want to bring some souvenirs as gifts.  It doesn't matter if they are cheap for expensive.  I will add my ideas below.

Money works well; I'm bringing home a handful of Chinese and HK coins and bills.
Some purses and random things I bartered for in HK.
A few free, Chinese-produced, English newspapers from USTC.
Several Chinese books for kids from street vendors, and also some neat notebooks for children from Walmart.
I might also get some cheap replicas of famous brands if I see them.

Also, last time I went home I brought a Chinese tea-set (a bit touristy) with some figurines that change color with hot water.  It looked nice, but it has so many small fragile parts and takes up too much space.

So, yeah, add your ideas for souvenirs or gifts!

[rgeczi]

Depending on what your home country is, be careful when going through customs with replica goods.  I've heard stories up them getting snatched by Customs (US Customs).  If that is the place you are going home to, make the replicas look "used", so as to show the Customs people they are yours, and not a gift.  That might work.

[Virginia9742]

Ah, that is a good point.  I have a purse and some Disney branded items, the authenticity of which I'm not quite sure about.

[Virginia9742]

Apparently, as long as you only have 1 of each, you should be OK with customs.

Starbucks mugs are also cool.  A bit boring, maybe, but I like that you have to travel to a certain city to get the mug.

[Virginia9742]

There is a flower market that also sells many wooden carvings of all sizes as well as rocks and also paintings, gourds, and other things.  It's pretty large.  The street it's on is Bin He Lu near the intersection with Tunxi Lu and it's right beside a small river.

I didn't try to haggle, really, but you definitely can.  I got one item for 400 after I said I didn't want it for 600...  I'm sure 400 was still a great price for her.  I guess they are used to the foreigner's fat wallets?

[zang2er]

do you know a place called  chenghuang temple ,  near  sanxiaokou .   in chenghuang temple  there's a very big small goods market in the under ground , if you buy over 5-10 , you get really cheap price there . each time , when i have visiters , i bought chinese local gift to them from there . they all love it .....  if you have time , go there  and have a look . of course  go there with a chinese . people will cheat you when they see you are a foreigner