Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Dong Kao Ya is a crowd pleaser, and the elegant Duck de Chine at 19492 is absolutely
beautiful, and serves a great dim sum as well as delicious roast duck.
If bohemian is more your style, it's worth taking a stroll up Dongsi Beidajie, between
Dongsi and Zhangzizhonglu subway stations. The clothing here is hit and miss, but there
are eclectic shops and an ever-increasing range of new local designers setting up shop.
If you need art supplies, specialty shops are around the National Art Museum of China
(Zhongguo Meishu Guan) on Wusi Dajie.
For supermarket shopping, those close to the Forbidden City can take advantage of
local chain Tiankelong. If you're by Dongsi subway station, the three-story Wu Mart has
everything from rice cookers to bread, but international products are few and organic
products nonexistent. Oriental Plaza at Wangfujing has an Olé supermarket, which, though
pricey, has a reasonably good supply of international and organic products. Specialty store
Yipin Chuwei Baking Shop stocks Western baking favorites, including Madagascan vanilla
pods (cheaper than at Jenny Lou's and April Gourmet), leaf gelatin, and Valrhona and Calle-
baut cooking chocolate. This is extremely hard to find as it's not really a shop but a tucked-
away
píngfáng,
and the main source of business is via website Taobao. The owner isn't
always there, so call ahead first. She doesn't speak English, so you might need to call on
your translation friends for help. For cookware, pick up woks and other basic Chinese items
from Xingsheng Yu Ri Yong Equipment on Dongsi Beidajie, just south of Beixinqiao sub-
way station.
If pain strikes, there aren't many pharmacies in the area offering Western remedies.
You do, however, have easy access to Wangfujing Drug Store, one of the bigger Chinese
pharmacies, which stocks international prescription and over-the-counter medicines. A few
doors down is another Western-medicine friendly chain, Golden Elephant Pharmacy. There
are many branches of this store around the city—just look for the golden elephant logo.
Places of Interest
For a dose of pop culture and escapism, there are plenty of movie cinemas in this part
of town. Beijing Changhong Cinema will suit those close to Dongsi, while those closer
to Wangfujing can choose from the cinemas in Jinbao Palace, Beijing APM, and Oriental
Plaza.
For a bit of outdoor meditation, your local parks are Zhongshan Park, to the left of the
main entrance of the Forbidden City, and Changpuhe Park, a tiny but pretty strip of a park
at the southeast side of the Forbidden City.
