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Unique Handmade Gifts: Ya Xuan Handicrafts

By: Philippe Chavanne The Forbidden City is surrounded with shops selling Chinese handicrafts. Not all shops were created equal though, so travelers have to many to find those which truly offer articles of great value.

That's of course an easier task for those of us who live in Beijing, since we see many such little shops and can identify more quickly if what they carry is worth a look, or simply junk not worth using for gifts.

Nan Chi Zi street harbors a number of such shops, and I found one there which I think should be told about. Like many others, it offers handmade objects from the Chinese minorities, but also some "purely Beijing" items which are worth a second look.

The owners chose not to specialize in any particular style, but to offer an assortment of the minority crafts found in the Chinese provinces such as Hebei or Yunnan.

Such is the case of their happiness dolls, small wood sculptures originating from the region of Hebei, north of Beijing; or of the Yunnan figurines, handcrafted by the local minorities. Hanging from the ceiling, you cannot miss the Shandong lanterns and lucky pendants.

In the Chinese language, the happiness dolls are called Huan Xi Wa Wa (pronounced as something like 'Juan Chihuahua' with the "J" pushed out from the throat like "Juan" in Castillan Spanish). They are a symbol of life-long bonding for newlyweds. The perfect gift for a wedding, you sure won't be copied by anyone else.

The Chinese people place a great importance on such symbols, and they frequently offer each other things which mean luck, wealth, good health, longevity, and love.

Among the other decorative objects offered by the shop, you can't but notice the braided pendants. Shaped as fish and Chinese zodiac animals, or Chinese characters such as 'Luck' and 'Love', these red pendants are great handmade gifts.

I noticed a beautiful series of painted clay figurines representing old Chinese people sitting or standing at the doors of the old Beijing homes called 'courtyards'. You can still see a few of these houses in the hutongs (the old alleyways). They tend to disappear though, to leave room for new construction projects.

On some of these figurines, the clay artist did not forget to add the weeds you can typically observe on the roofs and walls of these homes. Even the doorsteps show the mark of time on the stone.

Truly good examples of naive art which would make a cool gift for collectors and children alike.

Article Source: http://www.lifeweightloss.com

Phil 'Biker' Chavanne roams China to bring you unique gifts from Beijing and other places. Check the wealth of information provided on his Beijing shopping website and get fresh gift ideas for your significant ones.

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