Diqing Shopping
Diqing shopping will bring you some information about what to buy and where to buy in Diqing. With abundant natural resources, Diqing has many local specialties, such as Yak meat and Caterpillar Fungus.
What to Buy in Diqing
Tibetan Flavor Food
Tibetan flavor food is also a must when in Shangri-la, milk residue, Yak beef, matsutake and barley wine are good choices.
Yak Meat
Living in the area above 3500 meters all year round, yaks often eat wild herbs such as fritillaria, cordyceps and so on. Therefore, their meat is delicious and tasty. In addition, yak beef can be braised in soy sauce, stewed or dried to eat, with unique taste. Yak body is treasure, meat can be eaten, skin can be sewn into garment, boots and bags, etc., head can be processed into crafts, tail can be made into brooms, and bullwhip is an aphrodisiac medicine.
Milk Residue
Milk residue is extracted from yak milk. After the yak milk extracts the ghee, the remaining milk is cooled to become yogurt water after boiling. Then pouring the yogurt water into the bamboo bucket filter. What remains in the bamboo bucket filter is the milk residue. The milk residue is white with sour taste and strong digestive function. Tibetans who go out often take milk residue to prevent the unaccustomed to the climate of a new place.
Barley Wine
The highland barley wine, which has a history of more than 1000 years, is one of the main drinks in Tibetan area of Shangri-la. When you enter a Tibetan house, they always welcome you with barley wine. The barley wine has a clear and pure color, and a lingering taste.
Matsutake
Matsutake is a kind of natural rare and precious edible fungi, known as the "king of fungi". Because its growth in pine and oak forest, bud stage like antler, so it got the name. It is the national second level of key protected species.
Tibetan Fragrance Pig(藏香猪)
Tibetan fragrant pig, also known as "ginseng pig", is a breed of livestock and poultry. It is an ancient livestock resource unique to western Sichuan plateau, Yunnan, Tibet, Gannan and Minxian counties of Gansu province. It is a primitive lean meat pig in Tibet. Niru, known as the hidden village, is one of the main producing areas of fragrance pigs in Shangri-la city. Today, Niru village is the world's first ecological village. Niru Tibetan fragrance pig is famous for its delicate meat, unique flavor and rich nutrition.
Chinese Medicinal Herbs
Diqing is rich in natural resources. Here is rich in wild medicinal materials, such as cordyceps, snow tea musk, and Meili snow mountain is known as "medicine mountain" because of abundant wild medicinal materials.
Saffron
Saffron is said to have the functions of accelerating blood circulation and beautifying the skin.
Angelica
Angelica is highly valued for its effect on diseases such as irregular menstruation, chronic pelvic inflammatory disease, dysfunctional uterine bleeding and blood deficiency.
Chinese Caterpillar Fungus
The unique climate of the Shangri-la plateau is perfect for the growth of Chinese cordyceps, which is a combination of fungus and dead caterpillar. It is a valuable medicine and is thought to have good effects on improving immunity and treating many other diseases.
Snow Lotus Herb
It has great medicinal functions and grows in places in snow mountains of 4,000 meters high. Snow lotus has obvious effect on treating kidney deficiency and lumbago, dispelling rheumatism, and activating blood circulation. Snow lotus has best treatment effect when collected from July to August. Snow lotus contains protein, amino acid, flavonoids compounds, alkaloids and so on. It has the functions of promoting blood circulation, dispersing cold and dehumidification, hemostasis and detumescence, discharging toxins in the body, and beautifying the skin.
Tibetan Handicrafts
In Diqing prefecture, there are many exquisite handmade silverware made by local people. Those who are interested can buy them as souvenirs. Wooden bowl and box, Tibetan silver ornaments and Tibetan knife are popular items in this area.
Silver Knife
Silver knife is an indispensable tool in the production and life of Tibetan people. Moreover, it enjoys a high reputation at home and abroad because its shape and craft are featuring unique ethnic characteristics. Even when describing Tibetan ethnic characteristics, people are always associated with knives. The hilt of the silver knife is carved with exquisite workmanship. The scabbard is carved with jade dragon presenting a treasure, with lotus flowers and torches embracing it. It is the favorite ornament of Tibetan men.
Thangka
Tangka is a unique painting art form in Tibetan culture, with distinct ethnic characteristics, strong religious color and unique artistic style, depicting the sacred Buddha world with bright colors. Thangka uses precious mineral gems and plants such as saffron, rhubarb and indigo as pigments to show its holiness and purity. These natural raw materials ensure that the drawing of thangka is in bright color. Although hundreds of years passed away, Tangka is still bright in color. Therefore, it is regarded as the treasure of Chinese national painting art, known as the Tibetan "encyclopedia", and is also a precious intangible cultural heritage of Chinese folk art.
Where to Buy in Diqing
There are quite a lot handicraft shops and specialty shops in Diqing. Besides, in Dukezong ancient town, there are many interesting featured shops, where you can buy handicrafts and specialties. It is suggested that you shop around to make sure you are paying a reasonable price.
Handicraft Shops
- Shangri-la Handicraft Center(香格里拉手工艺品中心)
Address: No.1, Jinlong Street, Dukezong Ancient Town, Shangri-la City, Diqing Prefecture迪庆州香格里拉市独克宗古城金龙街1号
Tel: 0887-8227742 - Xiangbala Handicraft(香巴拉手工艺)
Address: Sifang Street, Dukezong Ancient Town, Shangri-la City, Diqing Prefecture迪庆州香格里拉市独克宗古城四方街
Tel: 0887-8296776 - Kangba Ethnic Handicraft Store(康巴民族工艺品行)
Address: Feilaisi, Deqin County, Diqing Prefecture迪庆州德钦县飞来寺
Tel: 0887-8416100/0887-8416110/13988742676 - Tangka Painting Academy(唐卡画院)
Address: Songzanlin Monastery, Shangri-la City, Diqing Prefecture迪庆州香格里拉市松赞林寺
Tel: 0887-8228363/13988751588
Specialty Stores
- Yun Zang Xue Yu Specialty Shop(云藏雪域土特产商行)
Address: No.70, Changzheng Avenue, Shangri-la City, Diqing Prefecture迪庆州香格里拉市长征大道70号
Tel: 0887-8835492 - Shangri-la Zanglong Yak Meat(香格里拉藏龙牦牛肉)
Address: Near Pedestrian Street, Dukezong Ancient Town, Shangri-la City, Diqing Prefecture迪庆州香格里拉市独克宗古城步行街附近 - Tibetan Shop(藏记商行)
Address: Chicika Street, Shangri-la City, Diqing Prefecture迪庆州香格里拉市池慈卡街
Tel: 0887-8826162/13308878229 - Holy Land Specialty Store(圣地特产店)
Address: No.24, Changzheng Avenue, Shangri-la City, Diqing Prefecture迪庆州香格里拉市长征大道24号
Tel: 13988731285 - Rare Treasure Native Specialty(奇珍藏宝土特产)
Address: No.11, Cangfang Street, Shangri-la City, Diqing Prefecture迪庆州香格里拉市仓房街11号
Tel: 18181455505
Supermarkets and Shopping Centers in Diqing
- Wanjiale Supermarket(万家乐超市)
Address: No.79, Changzheng Avenue, Jiantang Town, Shangri-la City, Diqing Prefecture迪庆州香格里拉市建塘镇长征大道79号
Tel: 13988791511 - Hutiaoxia Parity Supermarket(虎跳峡平价超市)
Address: Yixiang Hotel, Hutiaoxia Town, Shangri-la City, Diqing迪庆州香格里拉市虎跳峡镇彝乡大酒店
Tel: 0887-8806220 - Deqin Hualian Supermarket(德钦华联超市)
Address: Near Shenchuan Hotel, Deqin County, Diqing迪庆州德钦县神川大酒店旁
Tel: 13867662875 - Snow Mountain Supermarket(雪山超市)
Address: Feilaisi Scenic Area, Deqin County, Diqing迪庆州德钦县飞来寺景区
Tel: 15012243478 - Jinqiao Xinhe Shopping Mall(金桥信合购物广场)
Address: Chicika Street, Shangri-la City, Diqing迪庆州香格里拉市池慈卡街 - Sa Song Ben Ba Shopping Mall(萨松奔巴商场)
Address: Sifang Street, Dukezong Ancient Town, Shangri-la City, Diqing迪庆州香格里拉市独克宗古城四方街 - Tancheng Shopping Mall(坛城购物广场)
Address: Changzheng Avenue, Shangri-la City, Diqing Prefecture迪庆州香格里拉市长征大道 - Xintiandi Shopping Mall(新天地购物广场)
Address: The Intersection of Jiantang Road and Guishan Alley, Shangri-la City, Diqing Prefecture迪庆州香格里拉市建塘路与龟山巷交叉口
Notes: When you buy Tibetan knives, you'd better ask the shopkeeper to give you an invoice. The invoice is marked it as "handicraft", which can solve some troubles. Tibetan knife is absolutely not allowed to be brought on the plane. Whether you are stopped when taking train or car depends on the situation. The best way is to send it home at the post office.
