Fashion Tour of Beijing
Is it a dream?
Dragon-brocade silk to Mandarin collars, Chinese fashion has an indefinable allure that is ultimately irresistible to the fashion world. Tourists from around the world travel to Beijing to harmonize with the essence of the ancient Middle Kingdom, birthplace of so many mysteries and wonders in the world.
If you’re thinking about exploring the fashion in Beijing, the Silk Market, Xidan Commercial Street, Wangfujing Street, Dashilan and Liulichang Culture Streets are essential venues.
If you’re thinking about exploring the fashion in Beijing, the Silk Market, Xidan Commercial Street, Wangfujing Street, Dashilan and Liulichang Culture Streets are essential venues.
Beijing Silk Market called: Xiùshuǐjiē (秀水街) in Chinese can be found North of Jiangguomenwai Dajie and has over 1,700 retail vendors that know pretty much what foreigners are looking for when shopping in Beijing. Be prepared to bargain fiercely, walk away uninterested at least twice, and otherwise negotiate well in the spirit of free enterprise.
Just about anything can be found there including Chinese style fashions, handicrafts, antiques, calligraphy, carpets, table cloths, bed coverings, paintings, hand-knit dresses, toys, electronic gadgets, trinkets, and fine jewelry, but beware, all that glitters is not gold as some wise old guy once said. Silk Street is built along Line 1, Beijing Subway next to Guomao (China World Trade Centre) with a direct basement link to Yonganli subway station (Exit A). |
Xidan (西单; Pinyin: Xīdān) Street in downtown Beijing is home to dozens of clothing stores featuring both foreign and domestic labels. Some
people say the Silk Market (Xiu Shui) is for foreigners and Xidan is for Beijingers. The Xidan commercial district incorporates the Xidan Culture Square, North Xidan Street, as well as many supermarkets and department stores. The Xidan Cultural Square is the largest venue for cultural events in downtown Beijing. There are several large malls for high end shopping including: Xidan Department Store 西单商场, Beijing 77th Street Plaza. It is the first shopping mall that features fashion and entertainment for young people in Beijing, Grand Pacific Mall 君太百货 (the second biggest department store in Xidan offering fashion and lifestyle shopping experience targeted towards young consumers), Zhongyou (Chung-Yo) Department Store 中友百货 (the NEW mall) and Xi Dan Sci-Tech 西单赛特商城 ('Household Kingdom' is in the basement with everything for the home. On the first floor are housed cosmetics and jewelry booths. The second floor has casual wear with brands like Lee Cooper, Esprit and Azona. The third floor has a good selection of the best Chinese labels for ladies. The fourth floor features menswear and the fifth floor is devoted to children's clothing and accessories. If that isn’t enough there’s also Joy City (Xidan Dayuecheng, 大悦城 www.xidanjoycity.com), Capital Times Square 首都时代广场, and Xi Dan Shopping Center 西单购物中心 . After all that you’ll probably want to curl up with a Chinese fashion book you can pick up at: Beijing Book Building (Xidan BookStore) 北京图书大厦. |
Wangfujing Street
Wangfujing Street, the most famous shopping street in Beijing, starts from the East Chang'an Street and ends at the China Art Museum. With a length of around 1.5 km, the street has three main large shopping centers: Sun Dong An, the Malls of Oriental Plaza, and Beijing Department Store. Numerous world famous brands can be found here, such as Burberry, CK, Sisley, Ports, etc. In addition to a variety of modern luxuries, Wangfujing also boasts many time-honored Chinese brands, taking Shengxifu Hat Store and Tongbihe Shoes Shop for examples. I often go to Wangfujing because that’s where “Foreign Languages Bookstore” (Waiwen Shudian ) can be found. It’s definitely got the largest collection of foreign books in Beijing. And, oh, sorry, bargaining just ain’t gonna happen at Wangfujing. It also has a most interesting and delicious food street nearby. TO get ehre take subway Line 1 and get off at Wangfujing Station
Wangfujing Street, the most famous shopping street in Beijing, starts from the East Chang'an Street and ends at the China Art Museum. With a length of around 1.5 km, the street has three main large shopping centers: Sun Dong An, the Malls of Oriental Plaza, and Beijing Department Store. Numerous world famous brands can be found here, such as Burberry, CK, Sisley, Ports, etc. In addition to a variety of modern luxuries, Wangfujing also boasts many time-honored Chinese brands, taking Shengxifu Hat Store and Tongbihe Shoes Shop for examples. I often go to Wangfujing because that’s where “Foreign Languages Bookstore” (Waiwen Shudian ) can be found. It’s definitely got the largest collection of foreign books in Beijing. And, oh, sorry, bargaining just ain’t gonna happen at Wangfujing. It also has a most interesting and delicious food street nearby. TO get ehre take subway Line 1 and get off at Wangfujing Station
Dashilan
Dashilan, pronounced like "Da-Shr-Lar" by Beijingers, is one of the most ancient and distinctive commercial streets in the hutongs of Beijing. Located outside the Qianmem Gate, Dashilan Street is a very short walk southwest of Tian'anmen Square. The prosperous classes of the ancient capital nurtured its business. Now, the old street is famous for all kinds of stores with an antique motif. No cars or bikes are allowed. To get there take Subway Line 2 and get off at Qianmen Station.
http://dashilanbeijing.com/ |
Liulichang Culture Streets 琉璃厂文化街
For collectors of antiques, Liulichang Culture Street is your paradise. It only a few minutes' walk from the south of Hepingmen subway station. It is a traditional cultural market selling jewelry, antiques of all kinds including silks, ancient calligraphies and paintings. Please be aware that antiques over one hundred years old are marked with a red seal and an export license must be signed in order to take them out of the country.
Notable shops include Rongbaozhai Studio, Cultural Relics Shop, Yanjiang Calligraphic Work and Painting Studio, Zhenyun Building for selling jewelry, Yide Building for ink sticks and red ink paste used for seals, Four Treasures of Study for selling writing brushes, Jigu Building for Duplicating cultural relics and Cuiwen Building for (personal name) seals. And fashion? To be sure!
Notable shops include Rongbaozhai Studio, Cultural Relics Shop, Yanjiang Calligraphic Work and Painting Studio, Zhenyun Building for selling jewelry, Yide Building for ink sticks and red ink paste used for seals, Four Treasures of Study for selling writing brushes, Jigu Building for Duplicating cultural relics and Cuiwen Building for (personal name) seals. And fashion? To be sure!