Beijing's major shopping area

Beijing Weekend It has been said that the Silk Market is for foreigners and Xidan is for Beijingers. Whatever you are looking for, shopping is regarded as good sport by many and one of life's pleasures, especially among those who delight in seeking out bargains. Big shopping centres in Beijing contain just about everything anyone could imagine. Many offer free concerts, fashion shows and allied entertainment. Lufthansa, SOGO and Chung-yo are favourites, but so are the renovated Wangfujing and Xidan areas, Beijing's most modern shopping malls. For more down-to-earth shopping, you can try Beijing's open-air markets. In these places, successful shopping requires patience, time, a good eye for a bargain and bargaining skills. Wangfujing This street is named for the 10 princes' mansion and their sweet-water well that was built during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). The street, forever a trendsetter, has been transformed into a pedestrian shopping area. The best-known shop is the Beijing Department Store. To the north of the department Store is the One World Department Store, which features a collection of Chinese and foreign name brands and fine quality products. Sun Dong An Market is the largest in Beijing with 100,000 square metres of floor space housing more than 200,000 goods. Qianmen Dashilan street was a commercial centre of Beijing more than 500 years ago. Its old shops and small stalls are still preferred by many Beijingers. Xidan The Chung-Yo Department Store and the Xidan Market provide an ideal shopping, dining and entertainment environment. Chung-Yo's business is usually brisk. It offers monthly promotions. Discounted prices prompt even the thriftiest of consumers to open their wallets without flinching. All the world's name-brand products are abundant here, which reflects Beijing's growing cosmopolitan presence. Rock'n'roll, shrieking assistants and top fashions make Xidan a noisy paradise for shoppers. Shoppers can also enjoy open-air shopping which is another feature on two corridors linking the four shopping centres. One is between Chung-Yo Department Store and the Pacific Department Store; the other lies between Huawei Mansion and its opposite building. Silver Street Silver Street is in Dongdan Beidajie. It is where all the franchised foreign name-brand shops are concentrated. Jianguomenwai Dajie Jianguomenwai Dajie is famous for its colourful metropolitan scenes. The street is lined with star-rated hotels, office buildings, upmarket restaurants, beauty salons and shopping centres. The well-known shopping centres include the Friendship Store, SCITECH Plaza, Guiyou Department Store and the China World Shopping Mall. The Silk Market Despite its name, the Silk Market has much more than just silk. The silk products here are cheap, and therefore popular, but there are also a lot of cashmere garments, down jackets, leather goods, shoes, hats, watches and some handicrafts and trinkets. The Silk Market basically consists of a long, narrow street lined with dozens of stalls. One of the main things about the Silk Market is the fact that none of the prices are set. It is often helpful to bring along a Chinese friend who can help you bargain. Liulichang The famous Liulichang street has remained in Hepingmen since the Qing Dynasty. There, those who failed in the imperial examination would sell their books and stationery. It gradually grew into a market consisting of about 100 shops dealing in traditional works. Works of Chinese calligraphy and traditional Chinese paintings, old woodblock print books, Chinese ink brushes, inkstands and paper for calligraphy - known as the four treasures of study - can be found in Liulichang. Rongbaozhai, the most important shop there, has more than 300 years' history and a fine copy technique for old Chinese painting.

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