Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
If you're keen for something a little less sedentary and more in the way of cocktails
and loud music, head to the cheesy but entertaining club Chocolate opposite the northwest
corner of Ritan Park. This is the Russian hood of Beijing, and when not buying furs from the
neighboring fur markets, the Russians are here drinking and dancing. Alternatively, Centro,
at the Kerry Hotel, is a little more sophisticated and has live jazz bands most nights.
Day 12
Take a break from home hunting today and explore some of the markets around town. Many
of these are large and sprawling, and you'll find an entire day can be taken up with one mar-
ket alone. Those interested in anything fabric related should head to the Muxiayuan Fabric
Markets, the mother of fabric markets, located in southern Fengtai district. You can get out
at Donghuamen subway station (Line 10) and walk north along Nanyuan Lu, over the river
and up toward the Third Ring Road. The biggest building to look out for is Jingdu Textile
City.
For another fabric encounter, but of the ready-to-wear variety, hunt around the Zoo Mar-
kets (Beijing Zoo subway station, exit C or D), an overwhelming snarl of complexes and
street-side shops dedicated to selling all manner of attire at wholesale prices. This is def-
initely a whole-day activity, and you may return to your hotel with a throbbing headache,
but it's a fascinating window into Beijing, its migrant workers, and its appreciation for the
wholesale market.
If kitsch is your thing, and it happens to be Saturday or Sunday, go to Panjiayuan (Line
10). This is definitely a tourist destination, but you can pick up some questionably antique
souvenirs as well as plot out a few furniture or decoration items that you'll return to buy for
your future home.
Day 13
A lot of expats make the east side of the city their home, and go only as far as Gulou and
its immediate surrounds. Houhai becomes the fence over which they don't cross. With the
east being a cornucopia of entertainment, it's easy to imagine there's nothing of interest
beyond there. It's true, there are almost no expat enclaves in Xicheng district, and finding
international supermarkets requires much more determination. But then, if you want to give
yourself a more removed, more foreign experience without surrendering too many conveni-
ences, this is the place. So, today, this is the area we explore.
Start with a walk around Sihuan Zonghe Market (
四环综合市场
), one of the nicest food
markets in town. Also known as Rùndélì càishìch
ǎ
ng
(润得立菜市场),
it's a bustling mar-
ket with hundreds of vendors, selling everything from handmade noodles to sesame paste
