Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
blers, such as Lao Yu at Bespoke Leather Shoes on Gulou Dongdajie, who have become
accustomed to Westerners' big feet. Lao Yu can whip you up a good pair of leather dress
shoes in four to five weeks for around RMB1,200-1,800.
If you have children and you like them in well-fitted shoes, this is another item to put
on the to-pack list. Quality children's shoes, such as school shoes, are next to impossible
to find. If you know before you leave which school your child will be going to go to, it's
worth checking in ahead of time about the school shoe requirements. Shoe-store attendants
aren't particularly podiatry savvy, and they'll be more interested in selling you a popular
shoe than one that supports your child's foot.
Beijing is not Hong Kong. Electronic items are not particularly cheap, and if they are you
have to question their quality, genuineness, and potential lifespan. Because of this many
people do actually try to buy electronics outside the country and bring them in. The govern-
ment has become hip to this tactic, however, and will try to impose a duty on them as you
bring them in the gates. Particularly under their watchful eyes are items like iPhones and
computers. A simple tip: When coming into and exiting from China, make sure everything
is out of its packaging and has an “already used” feeling about it.
Electronics markets in Beijing abound. The camera market in Wukesong in the west is a
photographer's paradise, and the digital labyrinths of Zhongguancun up in the city's north-
west are a computer geek's dream. For something more mentally manageable, however,
there is Buy Now Hui in Chaoyang. Both
zh
ē
n de
(genuine) and
ji
ǎ
de
(fake) items are to
be found at all of these places, so be careful, shop around first, and bargain hard. Even bet-
ter, hide your foreign face around a corner and get a local friend to purchase on your behalf.
One item to leave at home is your DVD player. Nearly all DVDs in Beijing are pirated,
that's no secret, and while they are surprisingly good quality, they quite often just won't
work on a high-performance foreign player. Pick up a cheap, local-brand DVD player at the
supermarket when you do your first grocery shopping.
Unless you're partial to your own furniture, there's no need to bring it with you. Rental
apartments in Beijing come fully furnished. While not always to your taste, the furniture
should be in reasonable condition, and, if not, you can usually ask your landlord to change
it, or instead use it as a bargaining point to reduce your rent. For whatever you don't have,
homeware stores, such as Ikea and Muji, are here. Alternatively, it's easy to pick up a good
