Local Specialties and Souvenirs

§Briefing
Mount Huangshan is considered one of the greatest natural sites in the world, some local products have long been famous, such as tea, the four treasures of the study, luopan (Feng Shui Compass) and so on.

Mt. Huangshan is a famous tea producing area in China. Huangshan tea is famed for the quality of green-tea tea from this area, well known overseas, such as Huangshan Maofeng,

Keemun Black Tea, Taiping Houkui Green Tea
The four treasures of the study are major traditional art wares of Huangshan City, especially Huimo Ink-stick and Sheyan Inkstone. Folk arts including stone carving, brick carving, wood carving and bamboo carving, also the miniature gardens of Hui style and the jumped-up bamboo articles and furniture are all characterized with and decorated with local art flavor.

In addition, there are also some local specialties you can buy, such as mushroom, Chinese gooseberry (a kind of popular fruit in China with abundant vitamins), wild walnut, glossy ganoderma (a kind of precious Chinese medicine grow on cliff), tribute chrysanthemum and loquat.

Keemun Black Tea
Keemun, produced in Qimen County of Huangshan City, is a traditional famous black tea of China. It features thin twigs of sleek black color and luster, red and clear broth with a mellow and refreshing taste, and a fruity smell like that of apple or honey.

Keemun Black Tea is probably one of the best known teas of all the China black teas available. Keemun is one of the congou-type teas; it requires a great deal of gongfu (disciplined skill), to make into fine taut strips without breaking the leaves. It is often said that a properly produced Keemun such as Panda, is one of the finest teas in the world with a complex aromatic and penetrating character often compared to burgundy wines.

Huangshan Maofeng Green Tea
Huangshan Maofeng is regarded as the top ten green-tea of China, and it is also world-famous for its best-quality. The tea grows in the mountains over 700 meters above sea level within Mt. Huangshan Scenic Spot area which has cool temperatures, fertile soil, plenty of precipitation and a lingering fragrance of flowers. It has a unique quality and sends forth a lasting fragrance largely because of its growing environment, its sturdy buds and the consummate skills in picking and processing. The tea strongly resembles birds’ tongues in shape, with bright luster and verdant and soft yellow colors.

The Four Treasures of the Study (Wen Fang Si Bao)
Four stationery items, are the brush pen, inkstick, paper and inkstone, which are necessary for any Chinese scholar and calligraphy practitioner, They are main tools with which one carries out ones scholarly work, calligraphy and traditional Chinese painting. For this reason, they are called the "four treasures of the study", also named Wen Fang Si Bao.

Huangshan City (former name is Huizhou) has long been a renowned production center of Wen Fang Si Bao since the Tang Dynasty. The painting and writing items made here are Sheyan Inkstone, Huimo Inkstick, Cheng Paper and Wanbi Writing Brush. But now only two items still exist —the Huimo Ink-stick and the Sheyan Inkstone.

Feng Shui Compass (luopan) made In Wan'an
A kind of Luopan for direction and time called”Si Nan”was invented in China in the Warring States Period (475 –221 BC), its name was changed into "Si Pan" in the Han Dynasty, and developed further during the Song Dynasty (960-1279AD).

During the South Song Dynasty (1127-1279AD), the Correct Needle was combined with the Seam Needle to create the forerunner of the Luopan. From then on, Luopan is mainly for divination of Fengshui, called the Fengshui Compass.

Wan'an luopan has been famous at home and abroad for hundreds of years because of its fine and accurate craftsmanship. There are many types of luopan made at Wan'an, of them are three major categories: San He luopan, San Yuan luopan and Zhong He luopan.

Shop Index:
Huangshan Tea City
Add: No. 35 in Hehua West Road, Huangshan City, Anhui Province, China
The City is the largest and highest tea trade center in south Anhui Province. You can not only buy every kind of tea but also can experience tea culture first hand in tea history hall; you can have a taste at tasting tea hall and appreciate tea ceremony in any of the existing performance halls.

Tunxi Ancient Street
Tunxi Ancient Street is a wonderful shopping place. Stores here mainly deal with the elegant art wares, native products and some tourist souvenirs.

Daily Articles Shopping
Shop Index:
Huangshan Suguo Super Market-bigger all-around supermarket
Add: Qianyuan South Road, Tunxi District, Huangshan City

Huangshan New Street Shopping Marketplace
Add: east Huangshan Middle Road, Tunxi District, Huangshan City

Huangshan Branch of Shanghai Jiadeli Super Market
Add: Huangshan East Road, Tunxi district, Huangshan City