 Made in China - contrasts
abound when shopping from the high fashion boutiques of newly built
malls to local markets in the old sections of town that sell factory
overruns. In the old downtown area of Shenzhen, small shops are clustered
together and bargaining for your purchases is quite acceptable. As
a contrast, International Trade Tower together with Friendship
City form a major shopping center where
many well-known merchants operate such as the International
Trade Department Store, Duty Free
Shop, Oriental New World,
Tianhong Store and the Japanese
Seibu Department Store. These stores carry relatively expensive
premium goods and prices are fixed.
The most popular area for Hong Kong residents to take a day trip
for shopping  and
dining is the LoWu Commercial Building, just across the border from
the Lowu Railway Station. After clearing Chinese immigration, just
turn right and walk across the footbridge to the big white building.
Walk past the area selling bus tickets on the ground floor and you
will find the big shopping mall filled with five floors of shops
where prices are unbelievable, about half the price of factory outlet
prices but always check each piece for defects and ask for AAA quality.
You can have a tailor on the 5/F make a suit for less than US$100
and Tony at Stall 50A behind the fabrics speaks English. There is
an entire jewelry section on the 2/F and Hubang Cui in stall 2G14
speaks English and sells a strand of pearls for about US$5 a strand.
They will string any design, length and quality of pearls or jade
that you request. For purses, Miss Wang in Shop 18A on the 5/F also
speaks English but remember to bargain and be prepared to walk away
if you don't get your price. It is likely you will see the identical
merchandise at the next stall but remember to compare quality.
The Fabric Center is just behind the Jiang Nan Hotel where there
are there is a large market of fabric vendors and tailors. A tailor
will sew a made to measure wool suit for approximately US$50 in
one day but bring a Chinese speaker because no English is spoken
in this market. The area near to Shanghai Hotel on Shennan Road
Central, Futian District, is another popular shopping district.
Discount stores and specialized markets, such as Electrical Appliance
City, are ideal places to buy home appliances, communication equipment
and customized computers. Also Zhongying Street, separating Hong
Kong and Shenzhen, offers consumers duty free bargains.
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