LISTINGS - The Rough Guide to Beijing - page 240

print stained with tea. There are very few real antiques for sale in Beijing, and no bargains.
However, there are some great places to shop for items that at least look old. Liulichang ,
south of Hepingmen subway stop, has the densest concentration of curio stores in town, with
a huge selection of wares, particularly of art materials, porcelain, musical instruments and
snuffboxes; prices can be steep. For contemporary curios, try YandaixieJie , a hutong full of
little stores selling souvenir notebooks, matchboxes and the like, at the north end of Qianhai
lake.
ON THE SOUVENIR HUNT
Good, widely available, inexpensive souvenirs include kites, art materials, papercuts (im-
ages cut into thin card), knotwork, tea sets, jade bracelets, mah jong sets and ornamental
chopsticks (try any department store). Seals are another popular choice, with your name put
into a soapstone “chop” in either Chinese characters or Roman letters; prices start at around
￥ 50, and if you want to see ancient traditions meeting modern technology, go round the
back and watch them laser-cut it. For something a little unusual, you could get some Cul-
tural Revolution kitsch - porcelain Mao figurines, the Little Red Book , Red Guard alarm
clocks - from an antique store.
SHOPS
+86DesignStore 245 Gulou Dongdajie 010 57623086; Andingmen subway (line 2); map .
Terrific little shop selling all sorts of arty paraphernalia: cute backpacks, laptop cases, mugs,
pens, pencils, T-shirts, small items of furniture… the list goes on. There's another branch in
the 798 Art District. Daily 10am-7pm.
Mansudae Art Studio 万寿台创作社美术馆 , wànshòutái chuàngzuòshè mĕishùguăn 798
Art District 010 59789317, myinweb.com/mansudae ; map . This studio specializes in
North Korean art, and also has a range of North Korean goodies on sale - buy a Kim Il-
sung pin-badge, some English-language propaganda magazines or (if you've got a big wad
of cash) an authentic painting from Pyongyang. Tues-Sun 10am-6pm.
The One 69 Yandaixie Jie; Nanluoguxiang subway (line 6); map . The only real standout
shop remaining on Yandaixie Jie (referred to as “tat alley” by some visitors), this is a quality
place selling quirky, if slightly pricey, items - all sorts from pictures to cutlery and cups to
cuddly monk dolls. Daily 9am-8pm.
PMT 75 Nanluogu Xiang 010 64008520; Nanluoguxiang subway (line 6); map . This shop
(despite its slightly unfortunate name) prides itself on Chinese photography - there are all
sorts of prints available, large and small. However, it's just as notable for its tremendous
selection of fans; again, there's something for everyone, from cheap designs to expensive
carved sandalwood. Daily 9.30am-6.30pm.