Beijing Curio City

The biggest centre for curio trade in Asia, the charm of Curio City is that many of the stalls are run by people who have a real collector's love of what they do, rather than being just shop assistants.

Specializing in antique pottery, original paintings, jade ware and raw jade, bone carvings, antique furniture, pearls, antique carpets and antique time pieces, Curio City has something for people of all ages.

Caveat Emptor: Curio City is a supervised market, which does inspire a certain confidence, however for receipts to be useful here, as anywhere, they must bear the name of the store, the style and age of the antique, and the BCRB certification of the store.

How to get there: Just off the East Third Ring Road (to the west), about 15 minutes taxi ride south of Guomao Subway Station (China World Trade Center). Open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Rui Fu Xiang Silk Shop

5 Da Zha Lan Alley, Qian Men
Beijing 100051 China

+86 0 10 6304 1702 / +86 0 10 6303 2880

Open Hours9am-8.30pm daily.

Overview

If you plan on buying silk while in Beijing then this store, dating back to the Qing Dynasty, is the number one place. On the ground floor silk sells from as little as CNY50 per meter up to more than CNY400 per meter, with literally hundreds of choices. Satin, velvet, linen, cotton and other materials are also available. Upstairs there is a selection of both men's and women's silk clothing. Also, tailors can make items such as cheongsams and padded silk jackets (from CNY330 plus material), and suits (from CNY100 plus material).

Xu's Antique Carpet Company

59 Block 5, Long Zhua Shu Street
Beijing China

+86 0 10 6769 6888 / +86 0 10 6769 6889

xcc@netchina.com.cn

Open Hours8.30am-6pm daily.

http://www.xccrugs.com

Overview

For an enormous and interesting collection of antique carpets, this is the place to visit. It is a warmly lit, ballroom sized, shop that sells a good assortment of antique carpets in various colours and designs. Many are made on the prairies or deserts in China's North and Northwest regions.

Besides flowers and other intricate patterning detailed in the carpets, there are also some that feature Buddhist and Islamic themes.

Dragon House

In front of building no. 59, Dong Da Qiao Road
Beijing China

+86 0 10 6595 9801 / +86 0 10 6595 9796

Open Hours9am-6pm daily.

Overview

This small jewellery shop has a good selection of gold and silver rings, earrings, and necklaces. It offers some simple styles as well as more elaborate and artistic work. The artisans here can produce anything you would like as long as you bring a drawing, photo or sample of what you want made. Orders take an average of about two weeks on average to be completed. Prices are not cheap, but almost certainly less than what you would pay in Western countries. Bargaining is expected so do not be shy to ask for a "better price".

Mu Zhen Liao Boutique

Second floor of the Zhong You Department Store
Beijing 100032 China

+86 (0)10 6601 8899 (Chung Yo)

Open Hours9am-9.30pm daily.

Overview

For a unique look, check out this shop, which sells custom-made outfits incorporating traditional Chinese textiles and designs with a contemporary touch. This small shop has a large variety of fabric samples for customers to choose from, as well as finished dresses and jackets on display. It takes approximately 12-18 days to finish an order. Prices are high but the clothing is fabulously innovative and very chic. Prices range from CNY500-1000 on average.

Fu Xing Ashan Leather Goods Market

Building 4-8, Fu Xing Men Wai Avenue
Beijing China

+86 (0)10 6856 2547

Open Hours9am-8pm daily.

Overview

This two-storey Western style building (merged with the Fuxing Shangye Cheng Department Store) sells some wonderful leather garments. The garments are made of fine sheepskins from the grasslands of Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. The leather is soft and supple and light in color. If you are looking for some special leather garments, this store has a good selection.

Liulichang Cultural Relics Street

This crowded hutong has a history that stretches back to the Yuan and Ming Dynasties, and is a great place to go for the traditional "four treasures of the study": calligraphy brushes, inks, ink stones and paper. The renovated streetscape, rebuilt in the 1980s in Qing style, is part of the pleasure of browsing here. Recently blocked off to cars, these days the whole experience is much more pleasant, as one can freely stroll the narrow lane. Many artisans man their own shops, so it is not unusual to hear expert sounds from an erhu coming from a music store, or to see Chinese watercolors in the process of being created.

Caveat Emptor: As with the buildings, the treasures on sale here are, almost without exception, recent copies. Do not believe the salesperson's patter that you've stumbled across real antiquity - tell a better story in return and bargain hard. An "old China hand" rule of thumb is this: anywhere that accepts credit cards is bound to be pricier than places that accept cash only.

How to get there: 15 minutes walk south of Hepingmen Subway Station. Open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. - some stores open extended hours.

Friendship Store

Located on Jianguomenwai Dajie (just east of the East Second Ring Road), the Friendship Store provides upscale traditional Chinese goods including silk clothing, jewellery, authentic furniture, quality carpets and handmade rugs. A 10-minute walk from Jianguomen Subway exit B.

Tel: +86 10 6500 3311

Opening hours: 9 a.m.-8:30 p.m. (in winter), 9 a.m.-9 p.m. (in summer)

Wangfujing

Beijing's premier pedestrian street complete with English language bookshops, shopping malls, fashion stores galore, art galleries, street performers, and yummy food stalls. Take the subway to Wangfujing.

New Silk Market

Shopping at Beijing’s famed Silk Market, a “must” on the agenda of most foreign travelers and residents will soon resume. Bargaining for clothes, shoes, and other necessities here is part of the fun of a visit to China’s capital city.

For safety and security reasons, the old outdoor Silk Market was struck down in January, to be replaced by the new Silk Market Street, located in a shiny new building located on Jianguomenwai Dajie at Xiushui Jie. The new market has five above-ground shopping floors and three underground. Many new features have been added to the sales presentations and the new shopping mall even has a medical clinic.

Ancient Coin Market Reopens after Facelift

Beijing's ancient coin market has reopened after a year-long renovation, reported People's Daily. Located north-west of the Second Ring Road, the market is the capital's only specialist coin trade center, offering 20 stalls where coin enthusiasts can sell, exchange or have their collections valued.

The Beijing Museum of Ancient Coins, also at the market, has an ongoing exhibition of 2,000 coins from the past 4,000 years. These are part of its overall collection of almost 10,000 which reflect the diversity of China's ancient currencies.

Gaobeidian

Beijing's largest ancient and imitation Chinese furniture market opened since September 2004. Old furniture collected from Shanxi, Inner Mongolia and Hebei can be found here.

Address: Gaobeidian Village, Chaoyang District