Beijing Shopping Tips by socrates_07

Wangfujing Wangfujing Street Review

As I know this is the biggest shopping street in Beijing. When I was there in 2000 I was very surpriced about the modern stores... but in 2003, when I was the third time in Beijing I was surprised again. There you will find not only modern but also very exclusive stores. (not every store, of coures)

What to buy: On the western side of the street are plent of small stores selling clothes. You will also find the China Photo Studio about halfway up at no.: 228 which will produce passport photos as well as develop film. One of my favorite store is the Foreign Language Bookstore, the largest in China and a good recource for travellers. What else you can find there: Better ask me, what you CAN NOT find there.
If you are tired after all day shopping and a dinner, you can go to a movie. No problem at Wangfujing. Well, I did it... but unfortanely I didnt understand anything. HERO in Chinese ... but without subtitle.

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Silk Market Silk Market Review

In the Silk Market you find mostly clothes, though there are a few antique stalls as well and a couple of stalls selling ethnic clothing and bedsheets. You will need to bargain, though its a little bit harder here because there are more tourists.

What to buy: Good buys are silk dressing gowns, ties and scarves. Most of the designer labels are fake.
More and more people hanging around to sell music CDs, DVDs and CD-ROM games. (they can be knocked down to 10 Yuan) I have to admit, I didnt trust the quality so I never tried to purchase such CDs.

What to pay: It depends how good you are in bargain. My expericance: If you are a Westerner the local salesmen try to sell the stuff much higher than they would ask for local customer. Well, thats no surprice. But for me it was a suprise that you can bargain up to 60-70%. In the evening it was easier to get such a price. And, maybe I had another advantage. My chinese girlfriend accompanied me. Nevertheless, if the salesmen don't reduce the 'original' price to 50%, leave the stall.... and it won't be a surprice if they follow you to give you another, better price. So, don't forget: How much can you expect to spend? It depends how good you are in bargain.

Address: North off Jiangguomen Dajie

Directions: about 1 km east of the Friendship Store

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