Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Appropriatelyforthecapitalofamajorcommercialpower,Beijinghassomefirst-class
shopping. Much of it is concentrated in three main shopping districts: Wangfujing has
mostly mid-market shops and malls selling famous Chinese brands; Xidan hosts giant
department stores; and Qianmen has been reinvented as an open-air mall. Elsewhere,
Liulichang, a street of imitation Ming buildings aimed especially at visitors, is a good
spot to furnish yourself with souvenirs; shops here are much of a muchness, though
there are some better places on nearby Dazhalan Lu. Jianguomenwai Dajie is the place
to head for clothes, and Guomao is where you'll find the really high-end stuff. Shop-
ping is more exciting, and cheaper, in the city's many markets, even though they offer
no guarantee of quality; you can - and should - bargain.
BEIJING'S BEST
Best for tea
Ten Fu
and
Zhang Yiyuan
Best for riot-cop key-fobs
Police Museum
Best for goat-penis aphrodisiac
Tongrentang pharmacy
,
Silk Market
Best for drily witty t-shirts
Plastered
Best for antiques
Panjiayuan Market
Best for local music
C Rock
Best for artsy local fashion
Shanghai Tang
Best for genuine North Korean badges
Mansudae Art Studio
Best for tea sets
View Pottery
Best for fans
PMT
ESSENTIALS
Openinghours
Shops generally stay open from Monday to Saturday from 9am to 6 or 7pm,
closing earlier on Sunday; the large shopping centres are open every day until around 9pm.
Outdoor markets don't have official opening times, but tend to trade from about 7am to 6pm.
We have listed opening times throughout.
Addresses
Phone numbers are given for shops contactable in this way; if you're stuck for
directions, head there in a taxi and ask the driver to call.
ANTIQUES, CURIOS AND SOUVENIRS
There's no shortage of
antiquestores
and
markets
in the capital, offering opium pipes, jade
statues, mah jong sets, Fu Manchu glasses, and all manner of bric-a-brac - pretty much all of
it fake. The jade is actually soapstone, inset jewels are glass, and that venerable painting is a
