Benxi downtown is not large, yet it blends fashionable vibes with traditional charm perfectly. Yongfeng Pedestrian Street, Dongming Pedestrian Street, Commercial Mansion, Hualian Commercial Building and brand stores along Jiefang Road are top choices for young people. These places gather trendy new styles and reflect the aspirations of energetic youngsters. Meanwhile, Global Shopping Mall, Dongming Morning Market, night market on Yongfeng Pedestrian Street, Underground Shopping Mall near the railway station, Culture Mall, Century Lianhua Supermarket, Changjiang Supermarket, Tesco and Dashang Supermarket stand for affordable shopping. They are ideal hunting grounds for bargain hunters, offering high-quality goods at low prices.

In addition, Jinyuan Shopping Centre is a popular fashion hub favoured by style lovers. It offers everything from clothes and cosmetics to hair clips and mobile phone charms, keeping up with the latest trends. Bargaining is a must here. East New World on Yongfeng Pedestrian Street is a high-end shopping landmark. Its elegant women’s apparel shapes the graceful taste of white-collar workers in Benxi, though the price tags are quite high.

If you travel to Benxi, do not leave without local specialties. Ginseng and pilose antler are well-known Northeast goods, but you should definitely buy aralia sprouts and black fungus — they are excellent value for money.

A famous and precious frog species inhabits mountainous areas of Liaoning, especially the forested eastern Liaoning region. This amphibian, scientifically named Rana chensinensis, is locally called Hasma. The name derives from Manchu used hundreds of years ago and has been passed down through generations. Hasma boasts tender, delicious meat and was listed as one of the Eight Great Delicacies in ancient China. Though it looks similar to an ordinary frog, its hibernation habit differs greatly. Common frogs burrow into soil for winter, while hasma cluster in rocky caves, crevices, cliff bottoms and tree roots beside running water to hibernate for as long as five months. In recent years, artificial breeding of hasma has achieved great success.

Ink slabs made in Benxi, Liaoning, were already celebrated fine writing tools more than a century ago. They were once presented as tributes to the imperial family in the Qing Dynasty and won great fame across Northeast China. Also known as Qiaotou Stone Ink Slabs, Liao Ink Slabs are carved from bluish-purple cloud stone quarried near Qiaotou Town of Benxi. New designs keep emerging, and carving craftsmanship has become increasingly sophisticated.

Benxi Manchu paper-cutting has a history of over 300 years. Its most prominent feature lies in capturing shape, artistic conception, spirit and inner feelings. The craft mainly adopts hollow-out and continuous cutting techniques to depict daily life, seasonal solar terms and folk customs. A paper-cut competition was once held, attracting more than 360 entries. After expert evaluation, Hair-bun Doll by Meng Shuqing from Benxi Manchu Autonomous County won the Golden Craftsmanship Award. Three works including Three Odd Customs in Northeast China by Liu Guizhi received the Silver Craftsmanship Award, and eight pieces such as Nurhaci by Feng Shaogang earned the Bronze Craftsmanship Award. Manchu paper-cuts feature exaggerated and distinctive images. They carry forward ancient Manchu cultural traditions and seasonal rituals, vividly recreating production and daily life in traditional Manchu society.