5 Best Shopping in Myanmar

Local worshippers will often put gold leaf onto images of the Buddha, and this is where the bits are made, each pounded between heavy blocks by muscular craftsmen. At Golden Rose (36th Street between 78th and 79th Streets) and King Galon (36th Street between 77th and 78th Streets), you can observe the craftsmen as the English-speaking staff explain the production process. The information is not a sales pitch, but the most popular thing to buy here is sheets of gold leaf (10 for K2,500).

A warren of worktables, this jam-packed market is filled with jade traders inspecting uncut pieces and then having them cut, shaped, and polished to their specifications. The trading floor could give Wall Street a run for its money, with buyers and sellers bent over tables, intently discussing business. Outside, on the eastern side of the market, the cutting and polishing continues. If you do want to buy jade, it's best to come here with a reputable guide.

For impressive embroidered tapestries, bronze sculptures, and carved wood and stone pieces, visit Soe Moe, where the staff can arrange for your purchases to be shipped to Yangon.

In the same building as vegetarian restaurant Marie Min, Sunflower sells attractive bronze and wood carvings.

Mandalay's oldest market dates back to King Mindon (father of Thebaw, the last king of Burma). The original structure has been replaced by a Chinese-style mall, but the hive of activity outside is more interesting than the household goods sold within. A wide array of produce is available here, neatly grouped in colorful piles, and locals come out in full force to do their marketing. Dried shrimp and fish paste make good, nonperishable souvenirs.