Whether you're after jewellery, furniture, antiques, porcelain or just your average oriental souvenir, Beijing has a deal for you. But you'll need a good strategy.
The Chinese capital is not the world’s easiest place in which to shop. For a start, the city is enormous. Beijing spreads like molasses in every direction and retail hotspots require patience, time and not a little criss-crossing of the city’s traffic-logged streets to unearth. Then there’s the absence of any actual retail heart. The shopping street of Wangfujing is close to being the central point and, with proximity to the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square and some of the best hotels in town, is a good place to start. But if Wangfujing was “it” for shopping in Beijing, you’d be somewhat disappointed.
To return home with cases full of fantastic purchases, you have to work hard. It is possible to acquire terrific booty in Beijing and, with the Australian dollar so strong, much of it is temptingly priced. You need an intelligent strategy as, on the whole, this is not a city that rewards random wandering. It’s a good idea to think about the sort of things you might wish to buy – clothes, jewellery, porcelain, antiques (real or imagined), cheap market purchases, souvenirs or furniture – and target specific shops or areas. The following is a starting point. This is a city that’s changing by the day, so get your concierge to phone ahead and check addresses and opening times.
Markets
Part heaven, part hell, Beijing’s markets are legendary for the scope of their wares, the bargaining skills required and the breathtaking aggression of their salespeople. Braving the six-storeyed Silk Market is a shopper’s rite of passage and worth experiencing at least once. There’s an eclectic assortment of men’s, women’s and children’s clothing, fabrics (plus tailoring services), pearls, art (amazing how some of it looks like famous contemporary Chinese works), table linen, carpets and electronics. Used to dealing with foreigners, most of the sellers are able to speak at least some English.
Also expect marginal English at Yashow Market, where the spruiking is slightly less invasive of one’s personal space. Much of the same goods are on offer here as at the Silk and other markets. This is one of those places where fashion goes to die. If you search the more chic clothing stalls it is possible to find real end-of-line items from labels such as Diane von Furstenberg and Stella McCartney at bargain prices.
Local expats favour Yueshow Clothing Market. It has a similar selection of goods, but with an atmosphere that’s less manic and crowds less concentrated. Those with a cast-iron retail constitution might like to take on Dongwuyuan Wholesale Market, also called the Zoo Market. Prices here are fixed, but items are so cheap it hardly matters. This is where stall-holders from the Silk and other markets come to buy stock. The place is mammoth and, thus far, off most tourist radars.
Clothing and fabric
For fabric, there’s Muxiyuan Fabric Market where entire days can be spent amid rows of silk, cashmere, cottons and zips. A good eye and unending patience will return great dividends.
Daxin Textiles Co is more central, not as cheap nor as exhilarating, but the quality is great and there’s still choice aplenty. There are tailors trading here, too. Shantung Silk is a small, nondescript place selling a gorgeous selection of imported and local silks from as low as $7-$10 a metre.
Since the 19th century, Beijingers have been buying silk and having it tailored at Qianxiangyi or Rui Fu Xiang. If you can stand the “doof doof” music and general cacophony, historic Dazhalan is the home of many other “time-honoured brands” and remains an excellent place to shop for traditional wares such as cloth shoes.
In fashion a “Beijing look” is emerging – part flowing and layered, part boho and a touch tribal. To see what the best of this looks like, check out Heyan’er, Nali Mall,and 3.3 Shopping Centre. Nali Mall also has a fantastic shoe shop called Long.com where big sizes for Westerners are available. At 3.3, you need to hunt hard, but it seems the further up the escalators you go, the better things get.
Window-shopping in pedestrian-ised Yandai Xiejie, along Gulou Dongdajie and Nanluoguxiang (all close to each other, near the Drum tower) turns up some great boutique finds, as well as small shops specialising in other unique items (leather goods, hand-knits and handbags, Chinese tin toys, Tibetan and Naxi bits and pieces, embroidered slippers).
For clothing that’s less high-street, head to Shanghaixu for quality qipaos, Chinese jackets, skirts and trousers, either off-the-peg or made-to-measure. Gui Ren Haute Couture offers similar quality, complete with extraordinary hand embroidery, but in a neighbourly environment. Local designer label Mushi is the last word in understated, East-meets-West elegance, while the clever threads at Feng Ling blend Cultural Revolution chic and clean design with superior workmanship and fabrics. Those with young children will appreciate the outfits from Xiao Fu Xing. This Sino-French partnership designs pants, padded jackets, cloth shoes and flowery baby blankets using fabrics sourced from the countryside.
Antiques
Most of what’s sold in Beijing as “antique” was churned out of a factory just a week earlier, so beware of forking out for Ming or Qing anything. There are, though, reputable places to buy genuine collectables. The street called Liulichang, often dismissed as hopelessly touristy, is home to some dealers keen to protect their reputations by telling buyers what’s genuinely vintage and what’s not. Old pictures, porcelain, wooden items and Cultural Revolution-era pieces can be found and the street is a pleasant place to while away a few hours. The shops at 124 Liulichang West, 118 Liulichang West and 28 Liulichang East are reliable and the sellers speak passable English, too.
While most visitors troop to Panjiayuan (see souvenirs) for antiques, go instead to Liangma Antique Market. It is smaller, quieter and your chances of actually finding authentic pieces are much higher. Ferret through old photos, birdcages, carpets, porcelain and the usual Mao-era stuff and you are bound to find something you can’t live without. Another fun bet is the regular antique market held at the Baguo Temple, where the China Collectors Association sponsors some of the halls and stalls.
For carpets, Torana is widely respected for its high quality and integrity. It sells new and bespoke rugs as well as sought-after Tibetan antique ones. For yet more desirable Tibet-enalia (including old carpets and antique embroideries), visit Jia Na Ma Ni where the owner supports a school in Tibet through the sales in her shop.
Jewellery
The Pearl Market has long been a source of cheap-ish Beijing bling. Mostly, the pearls are cultured, some are fake, and the volumes on offer can be overwhelming. On the fourth floor the stores become more refined, offering tranquil surrounds and better quality by far. Fanghua and Ling Ling are recommended.
It’s a pity Gabrielle Harris no longer has her Things of the Jing store in relatively central Sanlitun. Her silver jewellery is inspired by various Chinese dynasties and it’s both bold and beautiful. There’s a small selection for sale at The Bookworm,but if you have time, visit her new shop at Shunyi, near the Capital Airport. And if you’ve come this far, investigate the fabulous furniture store Radiance next door.
Many of the big markets sell affordable silver costume jewellery that bears a striking resemblance to designs from international luxury brands. For these you can do no better than the fourth floor of Yashow Market (see markets). Expect to buy something well-made for as little as $20.
If your style is chunkier, funkier purchases, there’s Yinshu Jewellery Studio where the designer, a sculptor from Sichuan province, fashions pieces out of crystal, shells, stones, silver and plastic.
How to store your new jewels? The Shard Box Store is an oldie but a goodie. For decades it crafted boxes out of broken pieces of antique porcelain. Boxes are based on wood or silver plate, but either way they’re perfect repositories for precious acquisitions.
Porcelain
Whether your taste runs to less-is-more modern or bring-it-all-on traditional, there’s plenty of porcelain to covet. Karolina Lehman’s shop (basement, Laitai Flower Market, 9 Maizidian Xi Jie, Chaoyang District, +86 10 8454 0387) is a bit out of the way in the north-east. Lehman’s handpainted goods (teapots, lamp bases, trays, teacups) use traditional forms and motifs in jewel-like colours, all given a modern twist.
While there, check out Xinda Ceramics where, among the piles of utilitarian household crockery, sit lovely restrained pieces beautifully decorated with simple Qing-era designs. A short cab journey away is Spin Ceramics. Sleek and contemporary, the wares here are unique in the city. Note: it has recently opened a Melbourne store. Pottery Workshop has a slightly more rustic take on modern Chinese porcelain and everything it stocks (mugs, teapots, platters, decorative items) is unique and handmade in Jingdezhen, acknowledged as the porcelain centre of China.
Furniture
Beijing is paradise for fans of Chinese-style furniture – some of it genuinely old, some reconstructed from old pieces and much reproduced. The exhausting number of places from which to buy (many will custom-make items and also arrange shipping to Australia) includes the sprawling Chaowai Furniture Warehouse; Tanghouse Gallery with its great mix of old and new; and the expensive-but-worth-it Yue Fu Zhai.
For a real mind-blower, go to Gaobeidian Furniture Street (it’s easy to get there by subway), which is essentially the main street of a small town brimming with furniture makers and a few antique dealers. Allow half a day at least. One of the best places to rummage is Lily’s Antiques; second outlet at Chaowai.
Souvenirs
Clever expat Dominic Johnson-Hill opened Plastered T-shirts in 2006 and hasn’t looked back. His shirts make a feature of prosaic visual clichés – a Beijing subway ticket, an old taxi sign, an Olympic ping-pong player – turning them into something witty and wearable. Across the road is Grifted,arguably the best place for cool purchases with a distinctively Beijing flavour. Wares include T-shirts, lamps, umbrellas, key rings and wrapping paper featuring cute Buddhas, Maos, Lenins and Beijing opera singers. Cottage has amassed an eclectic selection of homewares and a few interesting clothes, but the store’s silk-covered photo albums at less than $20 each are perhaps the best reason to visit. At Emperor there’s napery and other assorted homewares.
Naturally, as you’re in China, you’ll be wanting to take home some tea. Best strategy here is to hail a cab and head south to Tea Street. Stretching several kilometres, this road is lined with tea markets and small shops, many of which offer tastings. They don’t speak much English in these parts, so if you have an idea what you want, have it written in Chinese before you go.
For exquisite silk kites, visit San Shi Zhai Kite Store. The owner is a fourth-generation kite maker – taught by his 90-year-old grandfather, whose father made kites for the imperial family.
Although now full of unspeakable tat with few real antiques in sight, Beijing’s vast flea market, Panjiayuan Antique Market remains popular. An excellent place to pick up gifts and mementos, it redefines the concept of one-stop shopping. Best time to come is early on weekend mornings when there’s the slim chance of finding something that is actually old.
Shop
Markets
Dongwuyuan Wholesale Market
Xizhimenwai Dajie, Xicheng District.
+86 10 8837 8056.
Silk Market
8 Xiushui Dongdajie, Jianwai Dajie, Chaoyang District.
+86 10 5169 8800.
Yashow Market
58 Gongti Beilu, Chaoyang District.
+86 10 6415 1726.
Yueshow Clothing Market
99 Chaoyangmenwai Dajie, Chaoyang District.
+86 10 6416 8945.
Clothing and fabric
3.3 Shopping Centre
33 Sanlitun Beijie, Chaoyang District.
+86 10 6417 8886.
Daxin Textiles Co
North-east corner of Dongsi crossing, Dongcheng District.
+86 10 8602 3919.
Feng Ling
Dashanzi Art Zone, 4 Jiuxianqiao Lu, Chaoyang District.
+86 10 6436 3926.
Gui Ren Haute Couture
198 Goulou Dong Dajie, Dongcheng District.
+86 10 6402 6769.
Heyan’er
15-2 Gongti Bei Lu, Chaoyang District.
+86 10 6415 9442.
Mushi
L107, LG Twin Towers, B12 Jianguomenwai Dajie, Chaoyang District.
+86 10 8529 9420.
Muxiyuan Fabric Market
Haihutun Area, Nansanhuan Lu, Fengtai District.
Nali Mall
Sanlitun Lu, Chaoyang District.
Qianxiangyi
50 Dazhalan Xijie, Qianmen, Xuanwu District.
+86 10 6301 6658.
Rui Fu Xiang
5 Qinamen Dazhalan.
+86 10 6303 5313.
Shanghaixu
Shop AA10 Oriental Plaza, 1 Dongchang’an Dajie, Dongcheng District.
+86 10 8518 6376.
Shantung Silk
357 Chaoyangmennei Xiaojie, Dongcheng District.
+86 10 6523 2440.
Xiao Fu Xing
43 Zhonglouwan Hutong, between the Bell and Drum Towers, Dongcheng District.
+86 10 8403 4740.
Antiques
Baguo Temple
Baoguisi Qianjie, Guang’anmennei Dajie, Xuanwu District.
+86 10 6317 3169.
Jia Na Ma Ni
6 Fangyuan Xilu, Lido Area, Chaoyang District.
+86 10 6437 8812.
Liangma Antique Market
27 Liangmaqiao Lu, Chaoyang.
+86 10 6467 9664.
Torana
Shop 8, Kempinski Hotel, 50 Liangma Qiao Lu, Chaoyang District.
+86 10 6465 3388.
Jewellery
The Bookworm
Building 4, Nansanlitun Lu, Chaoyang District.
+86 10 6586 9507.
Fanghua
Level 4 Hongqiao Market, Tiantan Donglu, Chongwen District.
+86 10 6718 7888
Ling Ling
Level 4 Hongqiao Market, Tiantan Donglu, Chongwen District.
+86 10 6713 6900
The Pearl Market
Level 3 Hongqiao Market, Tiantan Donglu, Chongwen District.
+86 6713 3354.
The Shard Box Store (jewellery boxes)
1 Ritan Bei Lu.
+86 10 8561 3712.
Things of the Jing
Kaifa Jie, Xi Baixinzhuang, Houshayu, Shunyi District.
+86 10 9151 3985.
Yinshu Jewellery Studio
Dashanzi art zone, 4 Jiuxianqiao Lu, Chaoyang District.
+86 10 6437 3432.
Porcelain
Karolina Lehman
Basement, Laitai Flower Market, 9 Maizidian Xi Jie, Chaoyang District.
+86 10 8454 0387.
Pottery Workshop
23 Nanluoguxiang.
+86 10 6401 3799.
Spin Ceramics
6 Fangyuan Xilu, Lido area, Chaoyang District.
+86 10 6437 8649.
Xinda Ceramics
Basement, Laitai Flower Market, 9 Maizidian Xi Jie, Chaoyang District.
+86 10 6463 5588 ext 8107.
Furniture
Chaowai Furniture Warehouse
43 Huawei Beili, Chaoyang District.
+86 10 6770 6402.
Lily’s Antiques
Gaobeidian Furniture Street, Chaoyang District.
+86 10 6572 9746.
Tanghouse Gallery
Level 4, Antique Furniture Market, 519 Fenzhongsi, Nansanhuan Donglu, Chaoyang District.
+86 10 6764 2214.
Yue Fu Zhai
25 Mananli, Laiguangying Donglu, Chaoyang District.
+86 10 8470 1107.
Souvenirs
Grifted
32 Nanluoguxiang.
+86 10 6406 2716.
Cottage
4 Ritan Beilu, Chaoyang District.
+86 10 8561 1517.
Emperor
AA12, Oriental Plaza, 1 Dongchang’an Jie, Dongcheng District.
+86 10 8518 6148.
Panjiayuan Antique Market
West of Panjiayuan Qiao, Chaoyang District.
+86 10 6775 2405.
Plastered T-shirts
61 Nanluoguxiang, Dongcheng District, 134.
+86 10 8884 8855.
San Shi Zhai Kite Store
25 Di’anmen Xidajie, Xicheng District.
+86 10 8404 4505.
Tea Street
Maliandao Chayecheng Lu, Xuanwu District.
Source: Qantas The Australian Way August 2008