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Shopping in Xitang is mainly based on local specialties and handicrafts with a local flavor, such as blue printed cloth, buttons, Chinese knots, and ethnic ornaments.
Xitang Town's bustling areas are mainly concentrated around Youdian West Road (home to the Pacific Department Store) and Hongfu Road. West Street, within Xitang itself, is the busiest street in the area. It's home to numerous shops selling a wide variety of goods at varying prices, so it's worth exploring. This is the area with the highest concentration of shops, so it's a good idea to browse during the day and return to your shopping at night, as bargaining is more likely to occur near closing time. The next most popular area is the Misty Rain Corridor. Unlike West Street, it's flanked by small shops on one side and faces the water on the other.
If you want to buy local specialties, such as yellow rice wine and eight-treasure cake, you can go to Zhongfutang Food Factory (No. 72 Tangdong Street, 0573-84566222) and Zhonghetang Food Factory (0573-84565638).
In Xitang, you can buy rice wine, five-spice beans, eight-treasure cakes, June red rice cakes, and rice dumplings. Rice wine is especially popular, as Xitang residents have always enjoyed it. Consequently, numerous rice wine workshops, large and small, have existed throughout Xitang's history. Today, the Jiashan Distillery, China's largest single rice wine producer, is located in the north of Xitang Town.