When it comes to Chongqing, most people first think of the fiery hot pot, the three-dimensional mountain city landscape, and the enthusiastic Chongqing people. In addition to experiencing the local customs and traditions, bringing back a few authentic souvenirs is undoubtedly a great way to extend the travel memories. But there are numerous Chongqing specialties; which ones are really worth buying as Chongqing must-buy items? This guide collects hidden must-buy lists from locals, from fragrant food to regionally distinctive crafts, detailing the purchasing points, shopping locations, and preservation methods of each type of specialty. Whether for gifting relatives and friends or keeping as a souvenir, it can help you make precise selections, avoid wasting money on impractical products, and easily take away the unique flavor and memories of Chongqing.
Chongqing Must-Buy Food: The Taste of the Mountain City on the Tip of Your Tongue
Chongqing’s food has always been famous for its spicy, numb, fresh and fragrant flavors. Many characteristic foods, after processing and production, become easy-to-carry souvenirs. Such specialties not only allow you to still recall the taste of the mountain city after the trip but also are very thoughtful when given to food-loving relatives and friends, making them the core category of Chongqing must-buy items.
Hot Pot Related Specialties: Bring the Spiciness of Chongqing Hot Pot Home
Chongqing hot pot is a iconic food of the local area. If you can’t personally bring relatives and friends to taste it in the restaurant, bringing a hot pot-related specialty is the best choice. Such products are sold in major commercial districts, supermarkets, and specialty stores in Chongqing. It is recommended to choose regular brands when purchasing to ensure quality and taste.
Chongqing Hot Pot Base: The core specialty of Chongqing hot pot.
Recommended Brands: Dezhuang, Hongjiujiu, Xiaolongkan.
Purchasing Suggestions: Choose the spiciness level according to taste, prefer vacuum packaging, and carefully check the production date and shelf life;
Reference Price: 20-50 yuan/package.
Hot Pot Dipping Sauce: A necessary specialty to match hot pot.
Recommended Brands: Ciqikou, Laoganma.
Purchasing Suggestions: Choose sesame oil sauce for a mellow taste, and sesame paste sauce for a rich flavor; pay attention to checking the packaging tightness;
Reference Price: 10-20 yuan/bottle.
Braised Snacks: Ready-to-eat hot pot supporting specialties.
Recommended Brands: Liaoji Bangbang Chicken, Ziyuan Baiwei Chicken.
Purchasing Suggestions: Choose vacuum-packed products, pay attention to fresh-keeping conditions, and it is recommended to buy them in the later stage of the trip to ensure freshness;
Reference Price: 30-80 yuan/portion.
Reminder: Hot pot base is liquid or semi-solid. Please ensure the packaging is intact when carrying to avoid leakage; if you need to check it in, please abide by the relevant regulations of the airline.
Chongqing Hot Pot
Characteristic Snacks: Taste the Diverse Flavors of the Mountain City in One Bite
In addition to hot pot-related specialties, Chongqing also has many characteristic snacks with unique tastes and easy to carry, which are entry-level must-buy souvenirs in Chongqing. They are very suitable either as casual snacks or gifts for children.
Chenchangyin Fried Dough Twists: Also known as Ciqikou Fried Dough Twists, they are traditional characteristic snacks of Chongqing. The fried dough twists are crispy in taste, with various choices such as original flavor, sesame flavor, and spicy flavor. Purchasing Suggestions: Prefer freshly baked and sealed packaged products to avoid moisture; recommended shopping location is Ciqikou Ancient Town specialty stores, reference price: 15-30 yuan/catty.
Guaiwei Broad Beans: A must-buy characteristic snack in Chongqing. Made from broad beans with various seasonings, it has a crispy taste and combines numbness, spiciness, sweetness, saltiness, and freshness. Purchasing Suggestions: Check the ingredient list and prefer products with fewer additives; recommended brands: Diehua Brand, Laosichuan, reference price: 20-40 yuan/can.
Hechuan Peach Slices: A traditional famous pastry in Hechuan, Chongqing. Made from glutinous rice, walnuts, sesame, and other raw materials, it has a delicate and sweet taste, divided into sweet and salty categories. Purchasing Suggestions: Choose thin, uniform, and impurity-free products; recommended brands: Sanjiang Brand, Sanminzhai, reference price: 10-25 yuan/box.
Fuling Preserved Mustard Tuber: A specialty of Fuling, Chongqing. Made from fresh mustard tubers through multiple processes, it has a crispy taste and moderate saltiness. Purchasing Suggestions: Choose products with intact packaging and no deterioration or peculiar smell, with choices such as original flavor and spicy flavor; reference price: 5-15 yuan/package.
Chongqing Must-Buy Crafts: Collect the Unique Cultural Imprints of the Mountain City
If food is the taste memory of Chongqing, then crafts are the cultural imprints of Chongqing. Chongqing’s crafts integrate local folk culture and handcraft skills, with high commemorative and collection value. They are a characteristic category of Chongqing must-buy items, suitable for gifting relatives and friends who love culture and art.
Shu Embroidery: Sichuan-Chongqing Customs in Needles and Threads
Shu Embroidery is one of China’s four famous embroideries. As an important producing area of Shu Embroidery, Chongqing’s Shu Embroidery works are exquisite in craftsmanship and bright in color. The themes are mostly landscapes, animals, and flowers in the Sichuan-Chongqing region, full of strong regional characteristics. There are various types of Shu Embroidery products, such as scroll paintings, shawls, handkerchiefs, and wallets, which are high-end must-buy crafts in Chongqing.
- Shopping Channels: It is recommended to choose regular Shu Embroidery specialty stores or art galleries to ensure product quality and avoid buying fakes.
- Selection Criteria: Focus on observing whether the stitches are dense and uniform, and whether the color transition is natural. This is the core basis for judging the quality of Shu Embroidery craftsmanship.
- Product Selection: Distinguish according to needs – for beginners or daily use, it is recommended to choose small-sized items such as handkerchiefs and wallets, which are affordable, with a reference price of 50-200 yuan; for collection or gifting important relatives and friends, large-sized scroll paintings can be selected, with a reference price ranging from 500 to 5000 yuan.
Dazu Rock Carvings Related Crafts: Recreate the Charm of World Cultural Heritage
Dazu Rock Carvings is a world cultural heritage in Chongqing, famous for its exquisite carving craftsmanship and rich cultural connotations. Locally, various crafts have been made based on Dazu Rock Carvings, such as stone carving miniatures, commemorative coins, and calligraphy and paintings, which are must-buy cultural souvenirs in Chongqing.
- Shopping Channels: It is recommended to buy in the souvenir stores in the Dazu Rock Carvings scenic area for more guaranteed product quality.
- Selection Criteria: For stone carving miniatures, check the carving details and choose products with hard texture and no cracks; for commemorative coins and calligraphy and paintings, focus on the integrity of the packaging to ensure easy carrying and preservation.
- Reference Price: Stone carving miniatures 50-300 yuan, commemorative coins 20-50 yuan, calligraphy and paintings 100-500 yuan.
Chongqing Characteristic Bamboo and Wood Products: The Warmth of the Mountain City in Natural Texture
Chongqing is rich in mountain forest resources and has unique bamboo and wood product craftsmanship, such as bamboo weaving and wood carving. The products are both practical and decorative, and are one of the characteristic must-buy crafts in Chongqing. Bamboo weaving products include bamboo baskets, bamboo mats, and bamboo tableware, which are light in texture and good in air permeability; wood carving products are made of local boxwood, camphor wood, and other raw materials, carved into various shapes of ornaments and pendants, with auspicious meanings.
- Selection Criteria: Choose bamboo weaving products with tight weaving and no loose threads; for wood carving products, pay attention to checking the surface smoothness and carving fineness, avoiding burrs or cracks.
- Shopping Channels: It is recommended to buy in Chongqing’s traditional craft markets or specialty stores around scenic areas for more guaranteed product quality.
- Reference Price: Bamboo weaving products 30-200 yuan, wood carving products 50-500 yuan.
Chongqing Must-Buy Shopping Location Guide: Accurately Find the Right Shopping Channels
After understanding various Chongqing must-buy products, finding the right shopping location is also important. Different shopping locations vary in the types, prices, and quality of products suitable for purchase. The following are several core shopping locations recommended by locals for tourists’ reference.
Ciqikou Ancient Town: Experience Ancient Town Customs and Buy Characteristic Snacks and Crafts
Ciqikou Ancient Town is a well-known scenic spot in Chongqing and also an important place for buying characteristic souvenirs. It gathers many local characteristic snack shops and craft shops, such as Chenchangyin Fried Dough Twists specialty stores, Shu Embroidery studios, and bamboo weaving shops, where you can buy various Chongqing must-buy products one-stop.
Shopping Suggestions: The product prices in the ancient town are relatively transparent, but some snack shops support tasting; it is recommended to taste before buying. You can appropriately bargain in craft shops, especially when the purchase amount is large. In addition, there is a large flow of people in the ancient town; please take good care of your personal belongings when shopping.
Night view of Ciqikou Ancient Town in Chongqing
Jiefangbei Business District: A Core Area Combining High-End Shopping and Popular Specialties
Jiefangbei Business District is the commercial core area of Chongqing. It not only has many large shopping malls and department stores but also special specialty stores. If you want to buy high-end crafts such as Shu Embroidery and wood carvings, or buy standardized packaged hot pot bases and snacks in large supermarkets, Jiefangbei Business District is a good choice.
Recommended Shopping Spots: Specialty counters in Chongqing Department Store and Xinhua International Shopping Center, as well as Chongqing specialty supermarkets in the business district. The product quality here is strictly guaranteed and the price is relatively stable, suitable for tourists pursuing convenience and quality.
Nanping Pedestrian Street: Cost-Effective Choice, Suitable for Bulk Purchase
Nanping Pedestrian Street is the commercial center in the southern part of Chongqing. There are many commercial entities here, including large supermarkets, shopping malls, and various characteristic small shops. The prices of Chongqing specialties here are relatively affordable, suitable for tourists who need to buy souvenirs in bulk.
Recommended Shopping Spots: Large supermarkets such as Metro and Walmart, which have a complete range of Chongqing specialties, standardized packaging, and frequent preferential activities; the characteristic snack street in the pedestrian street also allows you to buy fresh local snacks.
Chongqing Must-Buy Purchasing and Carrying Skills: Buy with Peace of Mind, Carry Easily
Mastering certain purchasing and carrying skills can make your Chongqing must-buy trip smoother, avoiding problems such as buying low-quality products and inconvenient carrying. The following are several practical skills for tourists’ reference.
Purchasing Skills
- Prefer Regular Channels: When buying Chongqing specialties, try to choose regular specialty stores, large supermarkets, or official souvenir stores in scenic areas. Avoid buying from mobile vendors or unlicensed small shops to prevent buying counterfeit and shoddy products.
- Check Product Information: Carefully check the product’s production date, shelf life, ingredient list, manufacturer, and other information when purchasing, especially for food products, to ensure the products are fresh and safe.
- Choose According to Needs: Select products according to the recipient and your own needs. For example, you can choose health-preserving Chongqing specialties for the elderly, characteristic snacks for children, and Shu Embroidery and stone carving related crafts for culture lovers.
- Appropriate Bargaining: In non-supermarket shopping places, such as ancient town small shops and craft shops, you can appropriately bargain for unpriced or unclearly priced products, and generally get a 10%-20% discount.
Carrying Skills
- Classified Packaging: Pack liquid products such as hot pot bases and sauces separately and seal them with plastic bags to avoid leakage polluting other items; wrap fragile products such as ceramic crafts and glass-packaged snacks with bubble wrap or newspapers and put them in a hard suitcase.
- Reasonably Arrange Purchase Time: It is recommended to buy food products in the later stage of the trip to avoid affecting freshness due to long-term storage; craft products can be bought in advance and kept properly.
- Understand Traffic Regulations: If traveling by plane, liquid and paste products must comply with the airline’s carrying regulations; those exceeding the specified quantity need to be checked in. If traveling by high-speed rail or EMU, pay attention not to carry flammable and explosive products, such as alcohol stoves in hot pot bases.
- Control Quantity and Weight: Reasonably control the purchase quantity according to your own luggage allowance and carrying capacity to avoid excessive luggage weight due to buying too much, resulting in additional costs.
Chongqing Must-Buy Souvenirs: Take Away the Warm Memories of the Mountain City
There are various types of Chongqing must-buy souvenirs, from fiery hot pot bases and crispy fried dough twists to exquisite Shu Embroidery and profound stone carving crafts. Each product carries the unique flavor and cultural heritage of Chongqing. Through this guide, I believe you have a detailed understanding of Chongqing must-buy products, shopping locations, and purchasing and carrying skills.
During your trip to Chongqing, you may wish to select a few favorite souvenirs according to your own needs and preferences, take home the enthusiasm and warmth of the mountain city, and let the travel memories continue. Whether for gifting relatives and friends or keeping as a souvenir, these Chongqing specialties will be one of the most precious gains of your trip.
