Souvenirs & Gifts to Buy in Qinghai and Gansu

The plateau and the Hexi Corridor produce some genuinely distinctive things worth bringing home. Here is what is worth your suitcase space — and what is not.

Worth buying

• Saffron (xi hong hua): Qinghai is a major producer; sold in small sealed boxes.
• Goji berries (wolfberries): Qaidam and Ningxia varieties are prized; look for plump, deep-red fruit.
• Tibetan crafts: prayer beads, woven textiles and thangka prints, from monastery-adjacent stalls.
• Yak and cashmere products: warm scarves and shawls, good value in the plateau towns.
• Fruit: Qinghai melons and apricots in season are excellent and cheap.

Tibetan medicine and herbs

You will see shops selling Tibetan remedies. Buy only from established shops, ask about ingredients, and be cautious of hard-sell tactics.

Where to shop

• Xining markets: excellent for goji, saffron and dried fruit, often at fair prices.
• Dunhuang night market: crafts, silks and souvenirs in a lively setting.
• Lanzhou: local snacks and gifts near the riverfront.

Tips and cautions

• Compare prices — tourist-area stalls mark up heavily.
• Check customs rules for food and plant products before you fly home.
• Bring cash for small stalls; larger shops take mobile payment.
• We tell guests where the fair dealers are, and where to be careful.

See the Malaysians guide for more on shopping and budgeting.