Beijing Hotels: Nearby Huacaizhou Handicraft Shop

Walking around the north of Forbidden City, I found a great little shop which offers traditional Chinese handicrafts. Today, I'd like you to discover it with me. It is not far from some of the best Beijing accommodations. 

I was first attracted by its hand-made Piyings hanging on the wall. Later the shop owner, Mr Xie told me the art is made of cow skin and from Shanxi province. These hand-made puppets can not only be enjoyed as beautiful artworks, but also used in shadow theater plays.

Huacaizhou also offers customized works. Like the furry monkey. The shop owner, Mr Xie is a master of the art. He told me the body of the monkey is made by the cicada slough, while the furry part is made by the seeds from yulan. Both are traditional Chinese medicine. For Mr Xie, the most difficult part is the tool-making. Monkeys carry wood items like fans, drums, and football. Because they are very small, it was hard to cut the wood into the correct shape.

"I can make a furry monkey with different themes upon a customer's request. It usually takes me 10 to 15 days to complete." Mr Xie added.

Talking about his experience, Mr Xie said he came up with the idea to open this shop because his wife and he had a crush on Chinese folk arts. They started their business together in 2005. Since then, they received more and more customers, especially foreigners.