Shopping On the Tour Bus @ Huangshan in China

Now, I was so taken aback by the sheer amount of commissioned shopping stops for my trip to Beijing back in 2012 that I swore off any visits to China for a few years, until there was no-shopping option! 

It did take another form, albeit one that is way more acceptance as the pitching took place along a long bus journey, in the comfort of the same tour bus that ferried you from one point to another, for almost the duration of the entire trip! 

Promoter - Xiaoxu, our tour guide! This wasn't something new as I have encountered such marketing in the past few "no-shopping" tour packages to China, and while there were persuasion skills, there's no pressure selling, and the tour guide will not force you to listen to him/her.

If it gets too bored (and it doesn't) or the products don't appeal to you (as it did for me for some of them), you can always look out of the window, and continue to be marvelled by the spectacular scenery in China. 

One thing I really enjoy on such shopping on the tour bus; the sampling, especially the snacks! I don't like about you but a much easier for me to open up my wallet was to entice me with your samples! Should my taste buds like them, it's a much higher chance for me to buy! 

Like this purple rice biscuit; not insanely sweet like many others in the market and came in smaller packets that would help to deter excessive indulgence. Only thing; not very sustainable with these small little packs. 

Favourite had to be the Chinese chestnuts; despite its name, it wasn't oily and, in fact, pretty dry to the touch. Furthermore, unlike most packaged Chinese chestnuts, these didn't have a strange smell / taste that I always attributed to some chemicals used for preservation, and tasted the best so far! 

Some would give you surprises; like the appearance of the five-eyed bodhi seed, which you would get after eating up the meat of the preserved plum.

I am not much of a preserved plum person but given the bodhi seeds, which would likely catch the attention of my mom; I bought a few packs. For all the above, you can mix and match and it would cost RMB 200 for 7 packs, RMB 400 for 16 packs; latter of which would cost about S$5.00 a pack.

Aside from snacks, you can also purchase the Golden Silk Crown Chrysanthemum, "a premium large-blossom herbal tea from Jiangxi and Anhui, China" that blossoms into a large flower once you put it in boiling water! Said to be organic and from highlands of above 1,000 meters, it cost RMB 200 for 40 individual sachets! 

There's also skincare; like the pearl powder cream, said to be made pearls from the famous Tai Lake and included ginseng extracts from Mount Taibai! p.s. can't remember how much this cost. 

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Click HERE for our 8 Days Huangshan, Tunxi, Yixian, Wuyuan, Mount Qiyun, Thousand-Island Lake, Hangzhou Tour Package to China via CTC Travel Agency