With the warmer weather and the high-speed railway linking Beijing to Tianjin, shoppers looking for a change of scenery can head to the port city for a weekend of leisure. Apart from historical buildings and Goubuli Baozi restaurants, small specialty stores can be found all over Tianjin. These are similar to the gift shops that line Houhai--minus the exorbitant prices.

Below are four shops in Tianjin that are known locally for their distinct yet reasonably priced products.

Living in style

Wanmei Shenghuo is known in Tianjin for its varied collection of household products. Credit goes to its owner Wei Li, a former career woman in the financial industry who picks up new merchandise on her travels.

The shop has many Chinese folk culture-inspired items, in bright colors like red and green. Wanmei has a huge collection of iron tools popular from the 1950s to the 1980s (15 t 300 yuan).

Wei spends a lot of time and energy running the store. "Many people who shop here think of it as a woman's home, and they say it reflects such," she said.

Where: 29 Floor 1, Wenhua Guangchang, Balitai, Nankai District, Tianjin

Open: 10 am-9 pm

Tel: 022--2711 9900

Cost: 10 to several hundred yuan

(China Daily May 6, 2009)