Where to shop

Silk Market

The Silk Market Despite its name, the Silk Market has much more than just silk. The Chinese silk products in the market are cheap, but good quality and therefore popular, but there are also lots of cashmere garments, down jackets, leather goods, shoes, hats, watches and some handicrafts. One of the main things about the market is the fact that none of the prices is set. It all depends on your bargaining skills. If you are a proficient bargainer, then you can get great deals on all kinds of clothing, if you are soft-hearted and don’t like confrontation, then you may get taken for a ride. 

Liulichang Cultural Street (the Antique Shops Area): The name originated from the kilns that had been set up to make glazed tiles and bricks in the 13th to 17th centuries when the Yuan and Ming dynasties had their respective capital built in Beijing. By the time of the mid-18th century during the reign of Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty, the street, lined with curio, calligraphy and painting stores became prosperous. Busy with cultural activities during the past 200 years, this old street has taken on a completely new look after reconstruction and looks more splendid.

 Beijing Antique Store is located right here in this very ancient cultural street. The store consists of eleven branch shops, Bogu Zhai, Moyuan Ge handle original works of calligraphy and painting by famous Chinese scholars and painters of different times and embroideries as well; Yungu Zhai, Cuizhen Zhai, Yunyu Zhai, Zhenhuan Ge deal mainly in bronzes, stones, ceramics and cloisonné, as well as ivory, wood and bamboo carvings, etc; Qingyun Tang & Guanfu Zhai sell ink sticks of different times, and seals made by famous seal engravers; Yueya Tang operates as the country’s exclusive licensed dealer of the most ancient works of art.

Wangfujing Street: The street came into being in the Yuan Dynasty more than 700 years ago. It is said to have received its name in the Ming Dynasty more than 500 years ago. One of the emperors was said to want all his 10 brothers to build their mansions in the place now known as Wangfujing so as to make it easy for him to keep a wary eye on them for fear that they might pose a direct threat to him. Nowadays, the street is one of the busy shopping areas in Beijing. There are more than 200 shops on the 810 metre-long. Tourists love to go shopping here. Every day about 200,000 shoppers came to Beijing Department Store, but later, about 50,000 came to do shopping at Beijing Department Store.

Dazhalan (literally meaning “large wicker gate”) the 270-metre-long Dazhalan Street is one of the shopping centers in Beijing. Along the street are more than 50 units, including a department store, garment shops, a store of traditional Chinese medicine, cinemas and a theater. The street is rather narrow and the houses on either side are closely located, with a huge flow of customers and pedestrians, averaging 80,000 people per day.