China - Pearl store, Beijing Enamel factory, Medicinal cream factory, Jade factory, Crystal factory, Tea factory, preserved fruits store, pharmacy

Besides, the specified touristic areas, we also visited local factories producing items that are unique only in China. I can't quite remember which particular day that we visited some of the above mentioned places. Somehow, they were "fillers" to the overall trip and also opportunities to present and sell us their products.

At the pearl store, we had a look at real oysters on display and you know what? These oysters can hold about 20 pearls in them each!

The Beijing Enamel factory provided us with a short tour of how the production of this delicate artpiece is created, designed and painted.

The medicinal cream factory was slightly more interesting. An act was performed whereby the presenter put his hand on a very hot burning rod and quickly rubbed his cream product onto the burnt skin. Amazingly, after a few minutes, the hand did not show any effects of the burning rod. Even though, I bought one jar of cream, a tour member cautioned me that the medicine on show probably had more "curing properties" than the ones they sold.

The jade and crystal factory presented us with explanations on how these elegant rocks are formed, mined and turned into jewelleries. Oh yeah, we nearly left a tour member at the crystal factory as she didn't know that all the rest of us had already gone onto the bus. After 15 minutes of searching, did they (Mr. Wong and Xiao Kuok) spotted her at the entrance of the crystal store.

The tea factory was also interesting as we were shown the art of Chinese tea drinking. There were so many flavours - some very aromatic and some very bitter. We were told of the benefits of each different tea and best of all, we get to taste quite a number of different teas as well as learn the art of holding the teacup.

Besides Tianjin selling preserved fruits, there is a store in Beijing selling packaged preserved fruits ("guo pu") but unfortunately as I sit down to think of it, I really can't remember where this store is located!

And you might not believe it but I actually decided to stay in bus with my mom when there was a visit to a pharmacy (Tian Fu) where you are diagnosed for probable illness and a prescription is given to you. Mee Lan was not feeling well then and mom was a bit tired. I wasn't interested in the pharmacy, so we all ended up chatting in the bus.

Here's some pictorial explanations:

These are certificates of identification and guarantee for the crystal ("shui ching") we bought.

This is quality card for the jade store. You get this as soon as you step down from the bus.