Pen shops in Guangzhou, China?

[driscol]

Can anybody recommend a few pen shops in Guangzhou, China that have decent prices? My cousin's there at the moment and I thought I would have her bring back a pen or two, but she doesn't know where to go.

 

Thanks.

[ExcaliburZ]

In China pretty much any mall, supermarket or school supply store will have FPs. Malls will have kiosks with better pens, Parker, Watermen, Cross and the street stores will have Heros and lower end Parkers. The quality of the Hero pens is hit or miss but don't get too expensive unless you are looking for the high end stuff. That is at least the situation in SH.

[Kirk]

Forget about finer pens in Guangzhou. They'll be more expensive than here in the United States. If I wanted something "better" like a Waterman I would pick it up in Hong Kong. There's a pen shop in Kowloon (Hong Kong). I think it's off Nathan Road near the Holiday Inn and near where the Hyatt used to be (I think the Hyatt is gone now).

 

What you'll find in Guangzhou are Hero and Duke pens at much better prices than you can find in the US. Plus many models that you can't find here. The place to go to is near the Tian He mall, there is a subway stop right there and it's one of the big malls in Guangzhou. It's just to the west and two subway stops away from Dong Zhan, which is the East Train Station (not the bigger Central Train Station). The East Station is the main hub going to Shenzhen and Hong Kong. Any way, at the north east corner of the Tian He mall, across the street, is a HUGE book store. I think the third of fourth floor has pens. I picked up a Duke Ruby, Sapphire, and another Duke there. I also highly recommend the Hero 101 if you like a finer nib and solid/heavy daily workhorse. I have one NIB waiting for my current one to fail. You can get Waterman pens at another mall/store on the same road as the Citic Plaza. I recall looking at a Waterman Edson there. But the prices of Watermans and Parkers in Guangzhou are well above what you'll pay in America as they are an item for the "rich" and priced thus. It's the same reason why Porsches are MUCH more in Guangzhou than the United States. The Chinese brand pens are for the common people though and priced much more reasonably.

 

Good luck, and if you need more help I can probably send you a photo of a map with the location marked, or my wife (the best thing I brought back from China) can give you directions in Chinese.

 

Kirk

Edited January 9, 2010 by Kirk

[Kirk]

Oh... prices are pretty much negotiable anywhere in China. Except at the big department stores the prices will be fixed. Prices at the Guangzhou book store will be fixed. Prices at a small pen store in Kowloon/Hong Kong will be negotiable. Your cousin will get a higher "foreigner" price though than what the locals can get, when trying to haggle (still haggle though). So the fixed prices at the book store may not be bad, no need to pay the extra foreigner rate.

 

Kirk

[driscol]

Thanks for all the info. My cousin was born and raised in China and will only be staying in Guangzhou for a while, so it shouldn't be a problem. I might be visiting Hong Kong this summer, but my mandarin is very rusty. I'll probably take it back up in college, but for now I'll rely on my dad who speaks Cantonese.

 

Thanks again.

[chainwhip]

Reviving this thread as I am in Guangzhou right now - Are there any stores closer to the Friendship Store near the Garden Hotel? The friendship store doesn't have the lower-end pens like the 100 or the 1000.

 

Thanks!

[bgrazman]

Timely thread, I am heading to GZ on Friday for the weekend (but I stay in the Westin near the GZ East train station)...

 

thanks FPN'ers

 

brent

[chainwhip]

I think Kirk means the "TeeMall" or "Grandview Mall" in TianHe area of Guangzhou... I'm going to take a taxi today/tomorrow and hunt down that bookstore.

Edited March 1, 2011 by chainwhip

[chainwhip]

Found this link that describes a similar bookstore near the malls in question:

 

http://guangzhou.asiaxpat.com/forums/living-in-guangzhou/threads/103644/bookstore?/

 

See posts by "Meiguoren" in that thread... Poster must be "American" from his pinyin handle.

Edited March 1, 2011 by chainwhip

[chainwhip]

So I hopped into the taxi and went to: http://www.gg1994.com/

 

It is just Northwest from Teemall (across the street and just in front of the Victory Plaza complex in TianHe area of Guangzhou) and across the street from the Southwest corner of the Stadium block. From the north side of TeeMall, I can see the Westin building so you could probably walk it... In any event, the pens are on the 3rd Floor.

 

Link from Google:

 

http://maps.google.com/maps/place?cid=14742080389854836669&q=Guangzhou+Goushu+Zhongxin&hl=en&dtab=5&ie=UTF8&z=14

 

Front door:

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5139/5488646295_2b5edd85a8.jpg

 

Hero pen display case:

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5256/5489243232_80089f50a2.jpg

 

Burgundy 100 & Black 1000:

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5214/5488648497_c42c100271.jpg

 

Hero 1113:

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5091/5488649103_b22080801c.jpg

 

The loot:

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5013/5489246190_802b0306f2.jpg

 

Business card for bookstore:

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5012/5489247174_b82b184444.jpg

 

The Chinese pens there included Duke, Hero, and "Picasso" but I just stuck to the 1000 I've been hunting... Prices aren't that great (you'll find cheaper on eBay), but I snagged the last 1000 they had. There is an interesting looking Hero 1113 (black pen above with the gold hooded nib) but I ended up not getting it. You'll be able to find cheaper elsewhere but the bookstore is very cool - I purchased a few books in Chinese/English/PinYin for the kids.

 

Enjoy your stay and happy hunting!

Edited March 1, 2011 by chainwhip