Shopping for Local Specialties & Tourist Souvenirs in Chuzhou

When buying local specialties and tourist goods in Chuzhou, top choices include characteristic handicrafts and produce with distinct regional flair such as Chuzhou Chrysanthemum, Lai’an Crabapple Fruit, and Chuzhou bamboo baskets.

You can purchase a full range of these products at officially designated tourist souvenir stores authorized by the Chuzhou municipal government: Chuzhou Shangzhidu Shopping Mall, Suguo Supermarket Chuzhou Branch, Chuzhou Department Store, Baiyun Building Chuzhou, Rixin Supermarket Chuzhou, Houyazhai Tourist Shop in Fengyang County, and more.

Its scientific name is Malus asiatica, one of China’s oldest fruit varieties. It features thin skin, crisp flesh, abundant sweet juice, rich aroma and minimal fibrous residue. The finest-quality crabapple fruits are grown in Lai’an County, Anhui Province. These fruits are not only delicious but also stimulate appetite, relieve summer heat, and can be brewed into medicinal wine to stop diarrhea and cure dysentery.

Fengyang jade boasts uniform texture, compact grain, smooth luster and elegant natural veining. Classified by mineral composition and color, it falls into two categories: Fengyang Jade and marble. Fengyang Jade resembles white marble, found on Phoenix Mountain north of the county seat and Dushan Mountain in the east. The marble variant looks nearly identical to Yunnan marble, originating from mountainous areas in southern and southwestern Fengyang including Jiushan, Houshan and Yaoshan. Diverse mineral contents create more than ten unique vein patterns: tiger-skin streaks, grey stripes, black jade, white marble, snowflake white, serpentine green, hibiscus red, sesame speckle and Lushan cyan, among others.

A one-of-a-kind folk painting art exclusive to Fengyang, originating between the late Yuan and early Ming dynasties with a history of over 600 years. It features fresh, graceful compositions, vivid bright pigments, delicate meticulous brushwork, and fixed traditional formats and motifs.

Standard stylized phoenix rules: snake’s head, tortoise’s back, nine tails and eighteen wings; eagle’s beak, chicken claws, ruyi-shaped crown. Three color systems: ink wash, plain tint, and polychrome. Ten rigorous production procedures: skeleton outlining, feather layering, contour drawing, first ink wash, second ink wash, third ink wash, color filling, white highlighting, yellow outlining, gold dotting. Eight classic traditional themes: Red Phoenix Facing the Sun, Hundred Birds Pay Homage to the Phoenix, Dragon and Phoenix Pavilion, Qilin and Phoenix, Phoenix Bringing Young Back to Nest, Four-Screen Scrolls (Flying, Singing, Foraging, Roosting), Five Phoenix Tower, and Hundred Birds Present Birthday Blessings. Among them, Red Phoenix Facing the Sun and Hundred Birds Pay Homage to the Phoenix are the most beloved.

Named after Leiguanji Market Town in Lai’an County, it is a time-honored local traditional specialty. First created during the Tongzhi reign of the Qing Dynasty, it gained fame across the Yangtze River basin for its sophisticated processing and authentic classic flavor. Four core production steps: slaughtering, brining, air-drying and simmering. The finished duck has glossy milky white skin, rich tender meat that is fatty yet not greasy, perfectly balanced saltiness, and an intense savory mellow aroma that stimulates appetite.

Production generally takes place from late autumn to before the Spring Festival, demanding precise craftsmanship. The ducks feature a neat shape, pure white thin skin, tender meat, abundant tail fat, crisp bones and a distinctive rich flavor, ranking as a premium cured meat product. Available finished products include whole cured ducks, braised red duck, refined flower duck, roast duck, raw dressed duck, plus vacuum-packed side snacks: duck webs, duck wings, duck tongues and duck gizzards.

Commonly called white chrysanthemum or sweet chrysanthemum, it ranks among China’s Four Famous Chrysanthemums (Chuzhou, Hangzhou, Henan and Bozhou chrysanthemums). Cultivated in Chuzhou for more than 1,000 years, its formal planting history spans over 200 years. Renowned for clearing internal heat and detoxifying the body, it serves both as herbal medicine and a cooling herbal drink. It was designated an imperial tribute in the Qing Dynasty, earning the alias "Chuzhou Tribute Chrysanthemum".

Seedlings are transplanted each spring, with flower heads harvested in early November. Both fresh and dried capitulums are brewed for beverages or used medicinally. Locals incorporate chrysanthemum into pastries and brew chrysanthemum wine for sterilization and heat reduction. Today Chuzhou chrysanthemum sells nationwide and exports to Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and Southeast Asian countries.

Records in Anhui Tea Canon note that Nanqiao Tea was widely grown in Quanjiao as early as the Song Dynasty. The Nanjing Ministry of Revenue Records of the Ming Dynasty documents that 200 jin of Chuzhou tea was supplied to Nanjing in the 3rd year of the Chenghua reign (1467). During the Republic of China era, Chuzhou produced the prestigious Yunsang Tea, testifying to its long-standing tea culture. After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, a state-run Shiji Tea Plantation was built in Shiji Township. Shiji Tea is praised for its high floral aroma, rich full taste and lasting sweet aftertaste.

Also known as Prefectural Baskets, with a craft heritage of over a thousand years according to legend. Chuzhou enjoys mild, humid weather and rolling green mountains abundant in light bamboo and round bamboo varieties. Their fresh green husks, tough texture, slender elastic fibers make them ideal raw materials for bamboo weaving handicrafts. Famous Chuzhou bamboo basket styles include boat baskets (also called waist ingot baskets) and "Cat Sigh Baskets" — so nicknamed because lidded food baskets keep cats from reaching the contents. The baskets feature exquisite weaving, creative elegant shapes, solid durable construction, beauty and practicality, carrying strong local and ethnic cultural characteristics. Once popular across 20 Chinese provinces and municipalities, they were exported to Japan, the United States and Western Europe