Xiamen Shopping
Main commercial streets in Xiamen are: Zhongshan Road (one of the ten most famous streets in China, the center of the old urban area of Xiamen), Lougtou Road in Gulang Islet (handicrafts dried goods and tea leaves), Xiahe Road (a comprehensive commercial area at the juncture of the old and the new urban areas in Xiamen), and Hexiang West Road (furniture, household appliances, lamps and clothes).
Among the special local products of Xiamen are lancelet, "fish-skin" peanuts, "Horse-hoof" cake, "Bodhi" Ball, lacquer thread sculptures, "tie and dye" cloth, colored figurines and pearl embroidery.
Lacquer Thread Sculpture
Lacquer thread sculpture is one of the treasures among Chinese traditional handicrafts created in southern Fujian, famed for its skillful technic, exquisite and vivid pattern and simple but unsophisticated feature. Nowadays, Chinese party and state leaders take lacquer thread sculptures as gifts presented to foreign leaders whom gave a great praise of the handicrafts. Meanwhile, lacquer thread sculptures are the superior collections of collectors in word over interested in Chinese traditional culture.
Lacquer thread sculpture has a history of more than 1400 years now. It was widely used as decoration of Buddha figures, painted fine line-adorning on sleeves and lapels of Buddha’s cloth, after development of painted sculpture in Tang Dynasty. Later, it became an independent hand craft in beginning of Qing dynasty and gradually be mature with the rising of Buddhism and economic development in southern Fujian. At present, lacquer thread sculpture are mainly created in Quanzhou city, however, tourists can purchase them in big handicrafts shops in Xiamen.
Stone Lion Statue and Shigandan Stone Statues
Stone lion statues are unique decoration on the top of door, house or village in southern Fujian including Jinmen city and Xiamen and the Ryukyu Islands to prevail against evil and bless for good fortune. It is evolved from stone lion in temples and become unique art crafts in Xiamen. Most stone lines statues are two as a pair, with bright colors in body and golden mane, exquisite and vivid; some are mighty, and some are stocky. In addition, there are other stone statuses in Xiamen called as Shigandan in Chinese figured in various animal patterns which our Chinese believe that can stop the misfortune but bring good luck.
Pear Embroidery
Xiamen pear embroidery is well-known with its novel design, gorgeous and bright layout. The pear embroidery originated in Tang Dynasty, thrived in Ming dynasty and Qing dynasty. The hand craft was gradually lost after the Liberation (in 1949) until some oversea Chinese brought back some pear embroidered slippers. Later, craftsmen try to embroider various flowers and birds pattern with pears on slippers, and then pear embroidery is popular around Xiamen. There is a number of pear embroidered articles including pear embroidered slippers, art bag, painting even clothes.
