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1st Time China Shopping

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  1. #1

    Join Date
    Feb 2013
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    159

    1st Time China Shopping

    Hello All

    having been in HK 6 years now, the wife is finally getting her way and dragging me to China for few days shopping! (God help)

    Couple of questions:

    1. Shenzhen or Guangzhou for best products and prices?
    2. 3-4 days trip so will want to explore for 1-2 days. Which city is best for attractions / sight seeing.
    3. Any hotel recommendations in either? Friend recommends Intercontinental and Langham in SZH.

    Help greatly appreciated.


  2. #2

    Join Date
    Aug 2006
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    Dafen Art Village.

    1. Shenzhen or Guangzhou for best products and prices?

    Shouldn't you let your wife figure this part out?

    Last edited by jgl; 02-10-2018 at 10:27 AM.
    East_coast and imparanoic like this.

  3. #3

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    Shopping for what? For 'best' products maybe Japan is better.

    For hotels, any new hotel is fine. Old hotels, even 5-Star, I would avoid.


  4. #4

    Join Date
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    1. What are you looking to buy? For standard high street clothing, most all shopping centres are the same, probably best to buy in HK. A lot of the cheaper or fake stuff for the region comes out of (or goes through) Gunagzhou so some good bargains to be had or so my wife tells me.
    2. Guangzhou is a much older and historically significant city so typically more attractions there in my opinion.
    3. I can't say for SZ but in GZ, the Hilton Tianhe, Westin, Grand Hyatt are all very good value and excellent hotels.


  5. #5

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    She’ll want to buy clothing, shoes, bags.....

    thanks all.


  6. #6

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    Quote Originally Posted by marshy104:
    She’ll want to buy clothing, shoes, bags.....

    thanks all.
    Korean, Japan or Hong Kong.

    China has a Value Added Tax hence te hordes that flock here to avoid 5-10%

    For fake stuff LoWu commercial Centre is probably the easiest.

    Shenzhen is OK and quite normal by city standards. The outskirts can be a bit rough and industrial
    Guangzhou is huge and a it of a dump. More cultural things to see.

    Hong Kong now has a high speed rail line so places like Xiamen or Guilin which are probably nicer are within reach.

    Shanghai is probably the best city in the mainland for shopping and culture.


  7. #7

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    Quote Originally Posted by marshy104:
    She’ll want to buy clothing, shoes, bags.....

    thanks all.
    don't expect international brands such as adidas, h and m and levis to be cheaper in china, all foreign branded products (regardless whether made in china or not) will be subjected to 20% import tax unless 50% owned venture by china company, but China brands such lenovo, 361 and xiaomi will be cheaper in china than HK, no branded cheapo stuff are next to nothing there.

  8. #8

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    depending what part of shenzhen, some parts are rough and dodgy like hell, best to be vigil of pick pocketing theives, beggers who pester you and fake sellers, lohu/lowu is the worst, some parts a futien is like that, but not as bad, shenzhen bay/nanshan is nice upmarket place, yantien is sleepy, peaceful and coastal resort like area,


  9. #9

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    New Muji hotel in Shenzhen, coworker like it- as said, newer is usually nicer...


  10. #10

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    Quote Originally Posted by imparanoic:
    but China brands such lenovo, 361 and xiaomi will be cheaper in china than HK,
    But you get a google free China ROM with no access to the playstore. That discount I won't take.

    Clothes ok, yes, but quality has its price in China too.