Shopping in Beijing is becoming more convenient by the day. Every year new shopping centers and plazas are sprouting up all over the capital. Just a few years ago there was only a few department stores and small bazaars, but now there are many super-stores, mega-malls and markets where you can buy just about anything you need. Recently, the first IKEA just opened in the north of the city. There is a huge PriceSmart which is a discount wholesale foodstuffs market for cardholders only. The Silk Market at Xiushui Jie and the free market at Sanlitun are also favorites among tourists, expats and locals alike.

Beijing has an interesting selection of arts, crafts and antiques available from outdoor markets, covered markets, department stores and even a few boutiques. Items such as calligraphy, chinaware, antiques and bric-a-brac, are popular and available almost everywhere.

Quality varies greatly, as does the price tag - don't expect that porcelain vase in the street market to be a priceless antique. However the selection and price are reasonable for those looking for a couple of souvenirs. Favourite places for shopping are in the Liulichang area (specialising in arts and crafts), at the top floor of the Hongqiao market or at the weekend Panjiayuan antique market. Also popular with tourists is the Silk Alley market, which sells all manners of fake brand name clothing and a few other interesting bits and pieces.

Note: Bargaining in markets is an absolute necessity and should be conducted with vigour, as the local residents do, and merchandise bearing an international brand name is best considered fake, regardless of the stallholder's protestations.

Beijing is one of the best places to find antique furniture or have furniture made to order, although the cost of shipping can be expensive.

International brand goods are available in Beijing, but are generally as expensive as elsewhere. They are readily available in the glittering new shopping malls of Wangfujing or Xidan.

There are various places to go for shopping, depending on what buyers expect and the prices they are prepared to pay.Beijing has some major shopping streets and big shopping centers. Below are detailed information on different places of shopping including special markets for special goods like antiques, arts and crafts, paintings and calligraphy, silk and books and open markets, free markets, small shops and some special shops.

Wangfujing Business Street
Wangfujing is located to the east of Tiananmen Square and stretches from Chinese Art Gallery to the Dongchan'an Avenue with a history of more than 100 years. It houses a wide variety of shops and boutiques where you can find all kinds of commodities, some of which are of world-famous brands.The recently finished Oriental Plaza, which is considered another miracle in Chinese architectural history, is scheduled for comp,etion soon. It stands just by the south entrance of Wangfujing.

The best-known shop is the Beijing Department Store. To the north of the department Store is the One World Department Store, hosting a collection of Chinese and foreign name brands and fine quality products. La Fayette presents French features, namely fashions and name brands. The newly-opened Sun Dong'an Market is the largest supermarket in Beijing. It covers a business floor space of 100,000 aquare meters and sells more than 200,000 kinds of goods.

Besides modern department stores, the Foreign Language Bookstore is also in this area. The Old-Beijing-Street is now seated underground, which was built and decorated in Ming and Qing style. The outstanding characteristic of it is the centralized well-known longstanding stores selling shoes, caps, silk cloth, scissors, Chinese brushes and ink-stick, jade articles, tea, desserts, pickled vegetables, roast ducks and so on.

The most popular sites for souvenir photos are the sculptures on both street sides, reflecting life of old Beijing.

Qianmen
Qianmen street was a commercial center of Beijing more than 500 years ago. Its old shops and small stalls are preferred by Beijingers. Not far from Tian'anmen Square is Xidan, which is regarded as the second Wangfujing. The street is lined with shopping centers, food bazaars and garment markets.

Xidan Commercial Street
Xidan Commercial Street is on Xidanbei Dajie,in Xicheng District,west of Tiananmen Square.It is developed after the found of China and is famous for commerce, entertainment, dinning, and finance and so forth. Like Wangfujing, you also can see modern and old stores here such as Shengxifu hats shop and Jingyi glasses shop.

Liulichang Culture Street
For collectors of antiques, Liulichang Culture Street is a place you should not miss. It only needs a few minutes' walk from the south of Hepingmen subway station. It is a traditional cultural market selling jewelry, antiques and ancient calligraphies and paintings. Note 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.

The best-known shop in this street is Rong Bao Zhai, which was opened about three hundred years ago, and it sells authentic works of paintings and calligraphies. There are also shops with old watches and furniture.

Dashilan
The oldest commercial street in Beijing is Dasilan, the most famous and peculiar prosperous street. Its history can be traced back to five hundred and eighty years ago when the Emperor ordered to build fences to prevent thieves from hiding. The fences built here were quite peculiar and kept for a long time. Later, Big Fences became the name of this street: Dashilan.

Dashilan is situated on south of Tiananmen Square, west of Qianmen Dajie, where many century-old shops and restaurants stand. You can buy some traditional handcrafts as well. Note that bargaining is always needed.

Silk Alley (Xiushui Street)
Silk Alley lies in Xiushuidong Jie off Jianguomenwai Dajie, near US Embassy. It is a good place to buy cheaper goods and the resident foreigners in Beijing come here frequently. Whatever you want to buy, like bags, shoes, handicrafts or sweaters, you can bargain with the owners.

Special Markets:
1. Flea and antique markets
Panjiayuan Flea Market ( the third eastern and southern circle )
Haiwangcun Flea Market ( Liulichang )

Hongqiao Flea Market ( the northern gate of the Temple of Heaven )

2. Arts, pearls and jewels
China Arts and Crafts Shop ( the eastern part of Wangfujing Street )
White Peacock Arts World ( Houjiutiao Ande Road, Dongcheng District )

3. Silk Shops
Yuanlonggu Silk Shop ( No.55 Tiantan Road ): it is a famous old shop, there is original color silks, green satins and brocades, also there is carpets, tapestries, Chinese writings and paintings, etc.

4. Writings and paintings shops
China Bookstore ( Eastern Liulichang ): sell Chinese old books Rongbaozhai ( No.19 Western Street of Liulichang ): sell writing brushes, ink, paper, inkstones and Chinese writings and paintings.

5. Drugstores
Tongrentang Drugstore ( Dashalan of Qianmen Street ): it was built in the 8th year of Emperor Kangxi, it mainly sells pills and plasters. There are Ten Famous Medicines, such as Zaiao Pill, Nvjindan and so on.

6. Bookstore
Wangfujing Xinhua Bookstore ( No.214 Wangfujing Street ): It sells all kinds of books. Beijing Books Building ( Xidan in Western Chang'an Street ).