What Souvenirs & Local Products to Buy in Shennongjia?

Shennongjia’s exotic stones combine beauty and mystery, winning great popularity among stone collectors across the country. They are categorized into various types: Shennong Stone, Shennong Green Stone, Cloud-pattern Green Stone, Stone Gall, Water Gall Agate and Shennongjia Fossils.

These stones boast high ornamental value and enjoy a promising market. Their prices range from several hundred to tens of thousands of yuan depending on size, yet they are generally affordable. Local enthusiasts are extremely passionate about stone collection, driving a booming market for Shennongjia exotic stones.

Shennongjia is known as a natural botanical garden and a germplasm gene bank of plant species. It abounds in a great variety of Chinese herbal medicines. The local folk herbs are particularly distinctive, featuring unique regional traits, special names and remarkable curative effects, with high medicinal and economic value.

Cured pork is an indispensable delicacy for festivals in Shennongjia. Compared with cured pork from other regions, it stands out in raw material selection and production techniques.

Especially in the Dajiu Lake area, pigs roam freely on alpine meadows. They drink fresh spring water and feed on a wide range of wild herbs and plants. Locals call them "free-range running pigs". Well-preserved cured pork can stay flavorful and pest-free for years.

Farmers only serve this delicacy to distinguished guests. The age of the cured pork also reflects the host’s hospitality — the longer it has been smoked, the warmer the welcome.

Home-brewed corn liquor is a specialty of rural Shennongjia. Steamed corn is mixed with distiller’s yeast for fermentation, then distilled in a bamboo steamer. The liquor flows out through bamboo tubes at the bottom, poured into earthen jars and sealed tightly. The jars are stored in cellars or small caves for half a year before being served. The finished liquor has a pure fragrance and mellow taste.

Some brewers add a little honey for a sweet and pleasant flavor. Others infuse it with Chinese herbal medicines to create health-beneficial tonic liquor.