Shopping in Beijing is becoming more convenient by the day. Every year new shopping centers and plazas are sprouting up all over the capital. Now there are many super-stores, mega-malls and markets where you can buy just about anything you need.
Shopping in Beijing is becoming more convenient by the day. Every year new shopping centers and plazas are sprouting up all over the capital. Now there are many super-stores, mega-malls and markets where you can buy just about anything you need.
Beijing has an interesting selection of arts, crafts and antiques available from outdoor markets, covered markets, department stores and even a few boutiques. Items such as calligraphy, chinaware, antiques and bric-a-brac are popular and available almost everywhere.
Quality varies greatly, as does the price tag - don't expect that porcelain vase in the street market to be a priceless antique. However the selection and price are reasonable for those looking for a couple of souvenirs. Favorite places for shopping are in the Liulichang area (specializing in arts and crafts), at the top floor of the Hongqiao market or at the weekend Panjiayuan antique market. Also popular with tourists is the Silk Alley market, which sells all manners of fake brand name clothing and a few other interesting bits and pieces.
Bargaining in markets is an absolute necessity and should be conducted with vigor, as the local residents do, and merchandise bearing an international brand name is best considered fake, regardless of the stallholder's protestations.
There are various places to go for shopping, depending on what buyers expect and the prices they are prepared to pay. Beijing has some major shopping streets and big shopping centers. Such as Wangfujing Business Street which houses a wide variety of shops and boutiques where you can find all kinds of commodities, some of which are of world-famous brands; Qianmen Street which was a commercial center of Beijing more than 500 years ago with old shops and small stalls; Xidan Commercial Street which is developed after the found of China and famous for commerce, entertainment, dinning, and finance and so forth.