Maotai Liquor
è å°é - produced in maotai town of renhuai county in zunyi prefecture, maotai holds itself to be one of the world's three most famous distilled liquors. in 1915, maotai won global fame at the panama world's fair. according to maotai lore, the booth at the fair was largely overlooked by the liquor judges because of the cheap labels and black bottles. in frustration one of the attendants smashed a bottle of maotai releasing the distinct aroma attracting the judges who later awarded the drink a gold medal. since 1949, it has won 14 international gold prizes and has been exported to over 100 countries and regions. it is officially known as china's national liquor and served at state banquets. at 106 proof 53% alcohol by volume or stronger, it is not for the faint of heart. maotai is clear and offers a lingering mild and mellow fragrance some liken to soy sauce. for foreigners it can be a bit of an acquired taste but no visit to guizhou would be complete without trying the province's most famous product.
Anshun Batik
å®é¡ºè¡æç» - batiks are a traditional handicraft of the buyi people in the anshun region to the west of guiyang. traditional ethnic designs include flowers, birds, fish and insects on indigo-dyed cotton cloth. more recently artisans have produced more colorful silk and wool batiks. there are over 1,000 different types of batik products now produced including whole cloth, bedding, tapestries, caps and purses. anshun batiks can be purchased at expensive tourist shops in guiyang or for more reasonable and negotiable prices in anshun itself.
Guiding Yunwu Tea
贵顶äºé¾è¶ - produced in yunwu mountain in guiding county, this tea was offered as tribute to the early qing court. the leaves resemble fishhooks, thin and soft, with whitish hairs. this green tea is much favored for its low caffeine and high catechol content.
Yuping Flutes
These elaborately carved flutes are made of local bamboo and produce a clear and beautiful sound. yuping flutes are traditional local products that have gone on to win international prizes.
Ethnic Silver Articles
Two ethnic groups, the miao and gejia, are famous for silver smithing. both groups produce headgear, necklaces and bracelets. each type has its distinct shapes, patterns and motifs. miao ornaments mainly use dog, cat, horse, insect, flower or bird motifs. the gejia prefer sun, stars, dragon, phoenix, bat and certain plant motifs. both styles give huangping silver ornaments great artistic value.
Embroidery and Cross-stitch
Miao embroidery is a traditional local handicraft. design motifs are typically butterflies, birds and interestingly enough marine animals. cross-stitch patterns follow the warps and wefts of the cloth and the most popular ones are colorful geometric figures.
Exotic stones and fossils
Guizhou's limestone hills yield a wealth of valuable stones and fossils. as the province also has impressive and commercially exploitable deposits of gold, silver and other minerals, there are a wide variety of mineral stones and samples available. fossils of missippian crinoids and the guizhousaurus è´µå·é¾ - a small semi-aquatic dinosaur are available in many tourist shops. the guizhousaurus is a common fossil and often found intact and complete so there is actually a fair chance the fossils are legitimate! the buyer will likely notice, however, that the fossils are painted to show the bones more starkly against a darker background of stone.