Those looking for gift-worthy purchases may make their way to the nightly Wushan market, which is a paradise for antiques , art and souvenirs; a veritable maze of makeshift stalls with both bric-a-brac and genuine finds, it is a treasure hunter’s playground.

Qing He Fang Old Street is another popular area for discerning shoppers. Preserved century-old buildings house over 100 of China’s most cherished household names such as Tong Ren Tang and Zhang Xiao Quan, displaying products from traditional Chinese medicinal herbs to delicately carved bamboo chopsticks. As a result, Hangzhou here boasts another chart-topper – Qing He Fang is designated as the ‘Top One Street of China’s Time-Honoured Brands’.

Silk production is another famed craft of Hangzhou, and the city holds the largest wholesale and retail silk market in China, where worldly traders and consumers barter back and forth over rolls of the fabric to make parasols, brocade pieces, traditional dresses, shirts, scarves, ties and much more. With Zhejiang province being the centre of textile trade and production, tailors are kept busy by the constant demand for their sharp scissors (another famed product of Hangzhou) and quick needles. Si Ji Qing clothes market, Wu Lin Road and Yan An Road are other major commercial stops for fashion.