Shanghai Souvenirs: What to Buy and Bring Home in 2027

The best Shanghai souvenirs are things you will actually use: a box of White Rabbit candy, a tin of tea, a silk scarf, a museum-designed magnet, or a shirt made to fit you. The worst are the fake antiques and generic trinkets sold near every tourist exit.

This guide covers what to buy, where to buy it, what to avoid, and how to get it home without a customs problem.

The short version

• Food: White Rabbit candy, Shanghai pastries, tea, and gift boxes from old brands.
• Design: official "Shanghai gifts", museum merchandise, and locally designed homeware.
• Classics: silk, qipao, calligraphy supplies, and porcelain.
• Custom: a tailored garment or a piece of jewelry made for you.
• Where: Yuyuan Bazaar, Tianzifang, Nanjing Road, Fuzhou Road, M50, and museum shops.
• Avoid: fake antiques, ivory, turtle shell, coral, protected wildlife products, and anything sold as an "investment".
• Check customs before buying food, seeds, plants, or animal products.
• Keep receipts if you want a departure tax refund.

Food and drink gifts

White Rabbit candy

White Rabbit is Shanghai's most famous edible souvenir: a chewy milk candy wrapped in edible rice paper. It is cheap, nostalgic, and easy to pack.

• Best shop: White Rabbit Store, No 100 East Nanjing Road, Huangpu District.
• What to buy: assorted gift boxes with multiple flavors, plus small plush accessories.
• Supermarket option: plain bags are widely available at supermarkets and convenience stores for less.

The candy contains dairy. Some countries restrict dairy products, so check your destination's rules before packing a large box.

Shanghai pastries

Old-school bakeries make excellent gifts that travel better than fresh food.

• Hudiesu (butterfly puff pastry): flaky, caramelized, and buttery. Huadian Cake inside Shanghai First Foodhall, No 720 East Nanjing Road, bakes them on site.
• Mung bean cakes and gift boxes: Shen Da Cheng, No 636 East Nanjing Road. The cakes are finely textured and mildly sweet; gift boxes often include classic and pistachio flavors.
• Eight-treasure rice: Xinghualou, No 343 Fuzhou Road. A traditional dessert of glutinous rice, red bean paste, and dried fruit.
• Sesame balls: White Magnolia Cake, 1F, Huilian Commercial Building, Nos 40-90 Tianyaoqiao Road, Xuhui District.

Pastries are fragile. Ask for a sturdy box, keep them in your carry-on, and do not put them under heavy luggage.

Tea

Longjing (Dragon Well) green tea from nearby Hangzhou is the classic choice. Buy from a specialist tea shop or a reputable department store, and taste before you commit. Tea is light and packs well, but loose-leaf tea can be crushed; ask for a tin.

At tourist markets, be wary of tea sold with a long story and a very high price. Compare a few shops, smell the leaves, and pay per weight rather than per "set".

"Shanghai" coffee and other local brands

The official Shanghai gifts range includes a "Shanghai" coffee series, along with traditional foods from century-old brands. These are good office gifts: useful, locally branded, and easy to carry.

Official "Shanghai gifts"

"Shanghai gifts" is a designation awarded by the Shanghai Commercial Association and the Shanghai Tourism Industry Association. It is a useful shortcut if you want something designed in Shanghai and reasonably packaged.

The 2024 batch added 421 products, bringing the total to 635 across three categories. Examples include:

• fridge magnets featuring works by painter Wu Guanzhong;
• embroidery-inspired pieces and tea sets;
• traditional foods from century-old Shanghai brands;
• the "Shanghai" coffee series;
• Pop Mart's Cool Shanghai series;
• retro Lego radios.

The 2025 Shanghai Gift Design Competition added more contemporary ideas: a magnolia-scented aromatherapy set, a stretchable Oriental Pearl Tower lantern, a blue-and-white porcelain tea set, a magnolia wind chime, a dragon-phoenix bangle set, and an embroidered folding fan.

Where to find them:

• specialty stores and counters at the Oriental Pearl Tower, the East Building of the Shanghai Museum, and the First Food Store;
• the "上海礼物" WeChat mini-program;
• additional sales points have been planned for East Nanjing Road, Shanghai Book City, the airports, and Hongqiao Railway Station. Check before making a special trip.

The advantage of the official range is packaging and authenticity. The disadvantage is that it can feel safe rather than surprising. For a more personal gift, combine one official item with something from a market or museum.

Museum and attraction merchandise

Shanghai's museum shops have become destinations in their own right. They are good for design-led gifts that are light, well made, and easy to explain.

• Shanghai Museum: zodiac neck pillows, a pony canvas tote with interchangeable expressions, pony fridge magnets, and a transportation-card keychain that works across China.
• Shanghai Natural History Museum: limited-edition "Meng Shi" lion figures, dinosaur figures, and "River of Life" blind boxes. Address: No 510 West Beijing Road, Jing'an District.
• Shanghai Zoo: "Hongtang" tiger plush toys and other animal merchandise. Address: No 2381 Hongqiao Road, Changning District.
• Shanghai Wild Animal Park: anteater toys and other park merchandise. Address: No 178 Nanliu Highway, Pudong New Area.

Museum shops are busiest at opening and closing. Go early or late, and check whether the shop requires a museum ticket.

Silk, qipao, and tailoring

Silk

Shanghai has a long silk trade, and silk scarves are one of the best lightweight gifts. Look for 100% mulberry silk (sang can si). A real silk scarf feels smooth, has a soft luster rather than a plastic shine, and drapes well.

Buy from:

• South Bund Soft-Spinning Material Market (South Bund Fabric Market), No 399 Lujiabang Road, Huangpu District;
• department stores on Nanjing Road;
• reputable silk shops and museum shops.

Avoid street stalls selling "pure silk" at implausibly low prices. A burn test can help identify real silk, but do not burn a scarf in a shop; ask the seller about the fiber content and check the label.

Custom clothing

The South Bund Fabric Market is the best-known place for made-to-measure clothing. It has nearly 300 shops, many with basic English, and standard production takes about six to seven days. Express service can be faster but is not guaranteed during busy periods.

• Suits typically cost 2,000–4,000 yuan, depending on fabric and workmanship.
• Bring reference photos and leave time for a fitting.
• Ask about overseas shipping if you are leaving before the garment is ready; China Post supports delivery to more than 170 countries and regions.

The old Dongjiadu Fabric Market is often mentioned in older guides. Do not plan around it; the South Bund market is the current visitor-friendly option.

Qipao

A qipao can be a beautiful custom souvenir, but it requires time. Choose the fabric, agree the price, get measured, and return for a fitting. If you have only two days, ask what can realistically be finished; a rushed garment often needs alterations.

Calligraphy, books, and paper

Fuzhou Road is Shanghai's traditional book street. It is still worth a visit, though some calligraphy specialists have moved.

• Shanghai Book City: No 465 Fuzhou Road, a seven-storey bookstore and cultural venue.
• Shanghai Foreign Language Bookstore: No 390 Fuzhou Road, with foreign-language books in dozens of languages.
• Baixin Books: No 620 Fuzhou Road, a century-old name reopened after renovation.
• Boyard: a calligraphy-supply specialist now at M50 Creative Park, No 50 Moganshan Road, rather than on Fuzhou Road.

Brushes, ink sticks, ink stones, and rice paper make elegant gifts for artists. Ink is a liquid or paste, so pack it carefully and check airline rules. Books are heavy; compare the cost of shipping with the airline baggage fee.

Jewelry and pearls

Yuyuan Garden Malls is the center of Shanghai's jewelry trade. Zijincheng Department Store and Lao Feng Xiang both have workshops where you can see craftspeople at work.

• Custom jewelry: choose the metal, stone, and design, then allow weeks rather than days for completion.
• Pearls: luster, surface, shape, and size determine value. Buy from a shop that provides a receipt and, for expensive pieces, a certificate.
• Gold: check the purity mark and the weight on the receipt.
• Bargaining: not appropriate in major department stores; independent stalls may negotiate.

Do not buy pearls or jade from someone who approaches you on the street. The price will not be the issue; the authenticity will be.

Where to shop

Yuyuan Bazaar

No 265 Middle Fangbang Road, Huangpu District. The bazaar is free to enter and open 24/7, though individual shops keep their own hours. Best for snacks, tea, fans, chopsticks, lanterns, and traditional-style gifts. It is touristy and crowded, but convenient.

Tianzifang

Alley 210, Taikang Road, Huangpu District. A network of lanes with design studios, ceramics, prints, jewellery, tea sets, and small galleries. Free to enter and open 24/7; most shops keep daytime hours. Better for independent design than for traditional souvenirs.

Nanjing Road

The pedestrian street is open 24/7 and lined with department stores, flagship shops, and food halls. Fixed prices, reliable quality, and no bargaining. This is the easiest place to buy White Rabbit, pastries, and well-packaged gifts.

Fuzhou Road

Books, stationery, art supplies, and calligraphy. Combine it with a walk through the old newspaper district and the Bund.

M50 Creative Park

No 50 Moganshan Road, Putuo District. Contemporary art galleries and design shops, including calligraphy specialist Boyard. Good for art prints and studio pottery.

What to avoid

• "Antiques" from street hawkers. Assume they are reproductions unless a reputable dealer provides provenance.
• Ivory, turtle shell, coral, and protected wildlife products. They may be illegal to import and can be confiscated.
• Fake branded goods. Counterfeits can be seized by customs.
• "Investment" tea or jade. Buy what you like, not what someone promises will appreciate.
• Very cheap silk. If the price is far below the market, it is probably a blend.
• Fresh food without checking customs. Meat, dairy, seeds, and plants are commonly restricted.

Customs, packing, and tax refunds

• Check your home country's rules for food, tea, wood, seeds, and animal products. When in doubt, declare.
• Keep receipts for expensive purchases and for any tax-refund claim.
• Tax refunds are available at participating stores for eligible visitors; the minimum spend and airport process can change. See the Shanghai shopping guide for the current rules.
• Pack liquids and pastes in checked baggage. Silk and pastries travel best in carry-on.
• Wrap porcelain and tea sets in clothing, not loose in a suitcase.
• Ship heavy items if the airline baggage fee is higher than postage. Sea mail is slow; air mail is faster but costs more.

A simple gift list

• For colleagues: White Rabbit gift boxes, "Shanghai" coffee, fridge magnets.
• For family: silk scarf, tea set, Shanghai pastries.
• For children: museum plush toys, Pop Mart figures, a lantern.
• For a special person: custom jewelry or a tailored qipao.
• For yourself: a calligraphy brush, an art print, or a piece of locally made ceramics.

The bottom line

Buy fewer, better things. White Rabbit and Shanghai pastries are the safest edible gifts; silk, tea, and museum merchandise are the most useful; a tailored garment or custom piece is the most memorable. Shop at established stores and markets, keep receipts, and check customs before you pack food or animal products.

Shops, product ranges, and tax-refund rules change. Confirm with the official sources below before you rely on them.