Beijing has a good reputation for
shopping
, with the widest choice of anywhere in China.
Clothes
are particularly inexpensive, and are one reason
for the city's high number of Russians, as
smuggling them across the northern border is a
lucrative trade. There's also a wide choice of
antiques
and handicrafts , but don't expect to find any
bargains or particularly unusual items as the
markets are well picked over. Be aware that much
that is passed off as antique is fake. Good
souvenir buys are
art materials ,
particularly brushes and blocks of ink, chops
carved with a name, small
jade items and
handicraft items such as
kites , painted
snuff bottles and papercuts.
There are five main shopping districts :
Wangfujing, popular but overrated; Xidan, whose
giant department stores are of limited interest to
visitors; Dongdan, which mainly sells brand-name
clothes; and Qianmen, perhaps the area that most
rewards idle browsing, with a few oddities among
the cheap shoes and clothes stores. In addition,
and especially aimed at visitors, Liulichang is a
good place to get a lot of souvenir buying done
quickly, or head to Jianguomenwai Dajie if it's
clothes you're after. In the markets , you
have much less guarantee of quality, but you can
(and should) barter, so prices are cheaper. For
general goods check the department stores ,
which sell a little of everything, and provide a
good index of current Chinese taste. The Beijing
Department Store, on Wangfujing, and the Xidan
Department Store on Xidan Dajie are prime
examples, or check out the newer Landao Store, on
Chaoyangmenwai Dajie. The Parkson Building, west
of Xidan on Chang'an Jie, is the plushest. Rising
living standards for some are reflected in the new
giant malls , where everything costs as
much as it does in the West. Try the Sun Dong'an
Plaza, on Wangfujing, the Sea-Sky Plaza, on
Chaoyangmenwai Dajie, or the SCITECH, COFCO or
World Trade Centre plazas on Jianguomen if you
don't get enough of this at home.
Shops are open daily from 8.30am to 8pm (7pm in
winter), with large shopping centres staying open
till 9pm. Beijing is one Chinese city where the
night markets are poor, forced out by the
abundance of goods in the stores
