Hechi Shopping

Hechi（河池） is located in northwestern Guangxi and is home to many ethnic communities, including Zhuang, Yao, Maonan, Mulam, Miao, and other groups. The city’s tourism shopping resources are mainly based on longevity health products, ethnic handicrafts, local agricultural specialties, traditional food products, and regional alcohol brands.

The shopping system of Hechi can be divided into four levels: urban commercial districts, county town markets, scenic area shops, and rural traditional markets. Jinchengjiang District（金城江区） and Yizhou District（宜州区） serve as the main commercial centers, while Bama（巴马）, Fengshan（凤山）, Luocheng（罗城）, Huanjiang（环江）, and Nandan（南丹） focus on ethnic culture and local specialty products.

For travelers, the best places to purchase souvenirs are usually county supermarkets, farmers’ markets, and official specialty stores, where prices are more transparent. Scenic area shops and roadside stalls may have higher prices, especially for health products and souvenirs.

The main categories of Hechi tourism products include Bama longevity health products, ethnic handmade crafts, geographical indication agricultural products, local wine, mountain dried foods, and cultural souvenirs.

Main Shopping Areas and Regional Features

Jinchengjiang District（金城江区）｜Commercial Center of Hechi

Jinchengjiang is the transportation and commercial hub of Hechi. It is the best place for visitors who want to purchase a variety of local products from different counties in one stop.

The main shopping areas include Jincheng Middle Road Pedestrian Street（金城中路步行街）, local farmers’ markets, and Bai Ma Night Market（白马夜市）. These areas offer local snacks, agricultural products, dried goods, tea, honey, and cultural souvenirs.

Recommended products include mountain honey, local preserved meat, herbal bath packages, Hongshui River tea, copper drum cultural souvenirs, and general Guangxi specialties.

The farmers’ market is usually more suitable than scenic areas for bulk purchases because prices are closer to local daily consumption levels.

Yizhou District（宜州区）｜Liu Sanjie Cultural Shopping Area

Yizhou is the cultural center of Liu Sanjie（刘三姐） folk song traditions and one of the best areas to purchase cultural souvenirs.

Main Shopping Locations

Huaiyuan Ancient Town（怀远古镇） features traditional streets, local snacks, handicrafts, and cultural products. Visitors can find Yizhou beef strips, silk products, traditional pastries, and Liu Sanjie-themed souvenirs.

Sipailou Pedestrian Street（四牌楼步行街） is a convenient urban shopping area with specialty stores and restaurants.

Liu Sanjie Hometown Scenic Area（刘三姐故里景区） offers folk culture souvenirs, Zhuang-style handicrafts, and packaged local foods.

Recommended Products

Popular souvenirs include Yizhou beef strips, Guangxi silk products, Yizhou rice dumplings, colorful glutinous rice products, fermented bean products, and Liu Sanjie cultural souvenirs.

Bama and Fengshan｜Longevity and Wellness Shopping Area

Bama Yao Autonomous County（巴马瑶族自治县） and Fengshan County（凤山县） are famous for longevity culture and karst landscapes. Shopping here mainly focuses on health-related agricultural products and traditional wellness items.

Main Shopping Locations

Shouxiang Avenue（寿乡大道） in Bama has official specialty shops, supermarkets, and health product stores.

Poyue Longevity Village（坡月长寿村） has many local shops selling hemp products, herbal products, and ethnic handicrafts.

Baimo Cave Scenic Area（百魔洞景区） also has souvenir shops, but visitors should compare prices carefully before purchasing.

Recommended Products

Popular products include Bama hemp oil, hemp seed powder, Bama vine tea, camellia oil, preserved Bama fragrant pig, herbal bath packages, and local medicinal plants.

Visitors should be cautious with exaggerated health claims or expensive wellness equipment sold near some scenic areas. Local supermarkets and official stores are usually better choices.

Luocheng Mulam Autonomous County（罗城仫佬族自治县）｜Mulam Cultural Handicraft Area

Luocheng is the only Mulam autonomous county in China and is known for its ethnic traditions and unique handicrafts.

Main Shopping Locations

Visitors can explore the old streets of Dongmen Town（东门镇）, cultural markets near Chenglong Lake（成龙湖）, and souvenir areas around Mianhua Tiankeng Scenic Area（棉花天坑景区）.

Recommended Products

Local specialties include:

• Luocheng wild grape wine
• Mulam embroidery products
• Mulam traditional pastries
• Pearl corn products
• Mountain dried foods
• Handmade pottery crafts

Ethnic handicrafts purchased directly from local artisans are usually more meaningful than mass-produced souvenirs.

Huanjiang Maonan Autonomous County（环江毛南族自治县）｜Maonan Cultural Products Area

Huanjiang is the only Maonan autonomous county in China and combines ethnic culture with ecological tourism.

Main Shopping Locations

The main shopping areas include the old streets of Si’en Town（思恩镇） and markets near Mulun Karst（木论喀斯特）.

Recommended Products

Popular souvenirs include:

• Huanjiang fragrant pork products
• Beef jerky
• Maonan bamboo hats
• Handmade malt candy
• Fruit preserves
• Jiuwan Mountain（九万山） herbal products

The Maonan bamboo hat is one of the most representative cultural handicrafts and has both practical and collectible value.

Nandan County（南丹县）｜Baiku Yao Culture and Wine Shopping Area

Nandan combines White Trouser Yao（白裤瑶） culture with traditional wine culture.

Main Shopping Locations

Important shopping points include Nandan County commercial streets, Dongtian Jiuhai Danquan Wine Scenic Area（洞天酒海丹泉景区）, and Gayasi Valley White Trouser Yao Village（歌娅思谷白裤瑶风情园）.

Recommended Products

Main products include:

• Danquan cave-aged wine
• White Trouser Yao embroidery
• Ethnic silver ornaments
• Traditional oil tea products
• Liuzhai high mountain tea
• Huangla Li dried fruit

For wine purchases, official stores or county-level specialty shops usually offer better prices than scenic area stores.

Tian’e County（天峨县）, Du’an County（都安县） and Dahua County（大化县）｜River and Karst Specialty Area

These counties are known for Hongshui River（红水河） landscapes, karst mountains, and rural products.

Tian’e County（天峨县）

Recommended products include freshwater fish products, pearl plum dried fruit, mountain mushrooms, and Hongshui River tea.

Du’an Yao Autonomous County（都安瑶族自治县）

Local specialties include sour snacks, sweet potato noodles, bamboo shoot products, colorful glutinous rice gift boxes, and ornamental stones.

Dahua Yao Autonomous County（大化瑶族自治县）

Popular products include Qibainong chicken products, Hongshui River dried fish, white jade sweet potatoes, ornamental stones, and Yao embroidery accessories.

Shopping Guide for Major Scenic Areas

Dongtian Jiuhai Danquan Wine Scenic Area（洞天酒海丹泉景区）

The scenic area has a dedicated wine shopping center where visitors can purchase cave-aged wine, small gift bottles, ceramic wine containers, and ethnic cultural souvenirs.

It is suitable for travelers interested in Chinese wine culture and industrial tourism. However, county stores may offer more competitive prices for personal consumption.

Bama Scenic Areas（巴马景区）

Near Baimo Cave（百魔洞） and longevity villages, visitors can find hemp products, tea, herbs, and health-related goods.

It is recommended to buy common products such as hemp oil and tea from official stores in Bama town rather than roadside vendors.

Liu Sanjie Hometown Scenic Area（刘三姐故里景区）

Visitors can purchase Zhuang-style cultural souvenirs, silk products, folk song-themed gifts, and packaged local foods.

Gayasi Valley White Trouser Yao Village（歌娅思谷白裤瑶风情园）

This is a good place to buy ethnic handicrafts directly connected with local culture, including embroidery, handmade accessories, and traditional crafts.

Mianhua Tiankeng Scenic Area（棉花天坑景区）

Recommended souvenirs include Mulam handicrafts, grape wine gift packages, and mountain specialties.

Sanmenhai Scenic Area（三门海景区）

Visitors can purchase honey, bamboo shoots, herbal products, ethnic embroidery, and local agricultural products.

Seasonal Shopping Guide in Hechi

Spring (March–May)｜Fresh Agricultural Products and Folk Crafts Season

Spring is suitable for purchasing seasonal products and visiting ethnic markets. During traditional festivals such as the March 3 Festival, visitors can find more handmade crafts and cultural products.

Recommended purchases include honey, bamboo shoots, colorful glutinous rice products, fresh fruits, and ethnic embroidery.

Summer (June–August)｜Health Products and Fresh Fruits Season

Summer is suitable for purchasing wellness products and fresh agricultural specialties.

Recommended products include Bama hemp products, vine tea, Luocheng grapes, pearl plums, sour snacks, and herbal bath products.

Autumn (September–November)｜Best Shopping Season

Autumn is the best period for shopping in Hechi. The weather is comfortable, and many products such as dried foods, wine, preserved meat, and agricultural specialties are widely available.

Recommended shopping route:

Jinchengjiang（金城江） → Yizhou（宜州） → Nandan（南丹） → Luocheng（罗城） → Bama（巴马）

This route allows travelers to purchase dried goods, beef products, silk products, wine, ethnic handicrafts, and wellness products.

Winter (December–February)｜New Year Gift Shopping Season

Winter is suitable for purchasing preserved foods, wine, tea, and traditional wellness products.

Recommended products include preserved fragrant pork, herbal tea, oil tea products, honey, and mountain specialties.

Shopping Tips and Avoiding Common Problems

Choose the Right Shopping Channels

The recommended shopping order is:

County farmers’ markets and supermarkets → official specialty stores → ancient town markets → scenic area shops → roadside stalls.

For daily products and food souvenirs, county markets usually provide better prices.

Be Careful with Health Product Marketing

In some longevity tourism areas, visitors may encounter products promoted with exaggerated health claims. Travelers should avoid purchasing expensive items without clear certification or information.

Selecting Ethnic Handicrafts

When buying embroidery, silver jewelry, bamboo hats, or handmade crafts, choose products directly connected with local artisans.

Handmade products usually have more cultural value than factory-made souvenirs.

Food Transportation Tips

Long-lasting products such as dried meat, beef strips, tea, and dried vegetables are suitable for long-distance travel.

Fresh foods and products with short shelf lives should be purchased near the end of the trip.

Alcohol products should be packed carefully for transportation.

Hechi Shopping Resources by Region