As part of our itinerary, we were taken on various factory tours (forced, actually). Pearls, Silk, Jade, Silk Rugs, Furniture, etc. The idea being that we could learn about traditional Chinese artforms/industries and then be granted the opportunity to purchase them for ourselves at government guaranteed "fair prices". NO bargaining! While mildly interesting the first time through, they tried to take to us to the same type of factory in each city and soon had a mutiny on their hands. Not that we weren't itching to spend our money, and we were all looking to do some early Christmas shopping, but no one on my list is getting any $4500 silk throw rug! This was beautiful but very expensive stuff. We wanted souvenirs and we wanted them cheap. The tour people finally got the message by the end of the trip, dropped the factory tours, and brought us to markets where we could buy things cheap. Then, for some people, it was a shopping binge like no other, buying stuff just because you could bargain the price down so low. Yes, it's going to be a good Christmas this year.