Taiwan

Jade jewelry. Hualien's pink and black rose and seven-color jade stones are found naturally along the county's riverbanks. Local artisans cut and polish the stones as well as craft elegant vases. Browse the selection of rose and jade stones, as well as thousands of other indigenous handicrafts, at 50-year-old Taiwan Handicraft Promotion Center (1 Xuzhou [Syujhou] Rd., +02 2393 3655), a non-profit organization stocked with authentic Taiwanese trinkets near Taipei Railway Station in Taipei City.

Woodcarvings. Visit Sanyi, a small, forested town known almost exclusively for its woodcarving industry ever since a local began crafting ornamental art from camphor wood in 1918. Stroll Sanyi's main thoroughfare, Shueimei Street, lined with some 200 fine-art shops selling wood sculptures, ranging from miniature duck and bird statues to intricate Buddhist icons. Nearby, observe esteemed Taiwanese sculptors crafting masterpieces at Guangsheng Village.

Silk. Lacquered silk, known in Taiwan as mud silk, employs a natural Han Chinese method dating back to the Ming dynasty. For pretty silk scarves and delicate garments, scour Taipei's night street markets, such as Raohe Street Night Market near the old Songshan Cihyou Temple, or wander along Fu-Shing Road in Taichung. Taiwanese designer Sophie Hong's lavish, exclusive silk designs can be seen at her Taipei studio (4, Lane 228, Hsin Yi Road, +886 2 23 51 64 69).

Pottery. Popular tea sets are hand-painted with tiny snow-white tung tree blossoms, which blanket the hills of Taoyuan, Hsinchu, and Miaoli counties. Porcelain makers in Peitou and Yingko are known for reasonable prices and oftentimes offer factory tours.

Weavings. Traditionally, the women of Taiwan's indigenous Atayal and Truku tribes excelled at weaving hemp cloth, in large part because they would only receive facial tattoos signifying their eligibility for marriage once they could produce high-quality clothing with complex patterns. Bamboo weaving is renowned in Chu Shan and Kuan Miao; likewise, look for aboriginal dyed weaves in Chang Hua County.

Leather. Taiwan's Tsou tribe once crafted caps and vests from leather; these days, indigenous leather artisans apply traditional themes to cell phone covers, business card holders, wallets, purses, and more. Leather goods featuring traditional tribal motifs can be found at Kending's Native Trading Post (21 Kending Rd.).