The interaction and collision of various cultures, customs, religions and colorful lifestyles offers visitors many things to see and buy. When you visit Nanjian, please don’t forget to buy some local specialty as keepsakes or to your relatives or friends.

1.    Yi Ethnic Lacquer Wares

The most outstanding lacquer wares in Shangri-la (former Zhongdian) area are wine vessels designed in the shapes of eagle claw, goose claw, horn and boar hoof. Admiring raptors and fierce beasts, the Yi ethnic people in Shangri-la in old times used these utensils to show off their nobility and power.  

Patterns on lacquer wares include natural patterns, animals, plants, life scenes, production scenes, and cultural images, among which animals are the most dominating-and followed by plants. This can be why the Yi ethnic group underline the animal husbandry in their life, since they had undergone a long nomadic history, settled down and finally survived on farming.

2. Jizong Mushroom

The Jizong Mushroom is one of the top-class mushroom types and a rare product of the mountain. You can fry it with meat or ham, or fried it alone, or boil it, or make soup with it. No matter how you cook it, it always tastes fresh and amazing.

3. Nanjian Walnut

The walnut of Nanjian County has a long planting history, and features "large in size, thin shell, kernel in white, sweet flavor, high kernel ratio and rich nutrition".

4.Nanjian pickles

Chinese pickles or Chinese preserved vegetables consists of various vegetables or fruits, which have been fermented by pickling with salt and brine (鹹菜) or marinated in mixtures based on soy sauce or savory bean pastes (醬菜). The former is usually done using high-fiber vegetables and fruits, such as Chinese cabbage, carrot, apple and pineapple, while the latter marinated group is made using a wide variety of vegetables, ranging from mustards and cucumbers to winter melon and radishes.

5. Yi Ethnic Satchels-Leather Bags

Made of tanned and soft sheepskin or cowhide. Sometimes, the Yi ethnic people in the northwest of Yunnan also use chamois to make bags, rare but graceful and beautiful.