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Beijing, the Capital of China and an international large city, is a great place for tourism and shopping. In Beijing, you can easily find stuff from the latest fashions to fine arts to more types of tea than you can think of.Â
Along with the Great Wall and Tian'anmen Square, Qianmen Street is one of the "must-see" places listed in many tourist guides. The street lies on Beijing's historic central axis just south of the Tian'anmen Square and the Forbidden City, the imperial palace from the mid-Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) to the end of the Qing Dynasty. Famous for its ancient architecture, Dashilan street was a commercial center of Beijing more than five hundred and eighty years ago. The name Dashilan comes from the large gates built at either end of the street during the Qing Dynasty to prevent street crime at night and as a safeguard against riots by the local Han people against the Qing. The fences built here were quite peculiar and kept for a long time.
Located beside the subway station of Gulou on Line 2, Gulou East Street is a great shopping stop for electronic game players, cartoon lovers and music fans. The young owners of the 36 specialty shops along the street sell a variety of gaming software, PSP, PS2 and a rich collection of cartoon souvenirs. The traditional Chinese musical instruments displayed in the 16music stores along the street are another major attraction. The 750-meter long Liulichang, or Glass Street, got its name from the colored glaze factories built as early as the Yuan dynasty. Since merchants opened the first antique stalls along the street in the Qing dynasty, it has become a commercial area focusing on traditional Chinese culture. If interested in books, antiques, calligraphic works, paintings, art, china, eye-catching jewelry or traditional Chinese ornaments, you should visit Liulichang. When you wander in the almost 100 traditional-style shops on both sides of the street, you will feel away from the bustle of modern life into a Qing bazaar. Maliandao Tea Street in Beijing is a must for both local tea lovers and foreign visitors who wish to take home Chinese tea as a gift. There are nearly one thousand dealers in Maliandao Tea Street, the world's largest tea wholesale market. A variety of tea products from all parts of China can be found here. This gives you more choices than most individual tea shops in the city. You may smell and taste any kind of tea before making your final decision. Shop owners will offer you tips on how to make genuine Chinese tea.One of the best persevered areas in Downtown Beijing, Nanluoguxiang is famous for its hutong and courtyards (siheyuan) but it is also now famed for the cafes and bars and clothing and handcraft shops that line its hutong laneways. Dubbed “another bar area besides Houhai, Workers’ Stadium and Sanlitun,†Nanluoguxiang is featured by its fusion of the modern and old, East and West. Panjiayuan Antique Market, a major attraction for visitors from China and the other countries for a long time, is the largest market for folk art in China. Stalls selling paintings and penmanship, jewellery and jade, folk art, old books, coins and other paraphernalia are open year round. The weekend bazaar attracts dealers and buyers from around the country. Although foreigners living and working in Beijing like to go to the Yaxiu (Yashow) market in Sanlitun for reasonable prices and wide variety of clothing, Sanlitun is more famous for bars in the street. With the neighboring embassies of 79 nations on its border, there are about 200 bars in Sanlitun Bar Street. Despite the emergence of a number of new bar zones in Beijing in the past years, Sanlitun has remained fashionable with the expat community, foreign travelers, and young locals. Shishahai, an area including Qianhai, Houhai and Xihai, is located in the North gate of Beihai Park or Beihai gong yuan in Chinese. The peripheral area surrounding Shishahai has been a bustling business district since the Yuan Dynasty. Thus, it got the reputation as "an ancient harbor in Beijing". Back then, restaurants, performance areas and pavilions (similar to today's bars and KTVs) as well as small businesses and workshops lined the banks of the lakes. Modern night life in a traditional Chinese courtyard makes the street a favorite for foreigners in Beijing. It's also a great place for a little shopping. Located directly east of Tian'anmen Square, Wangfujing Street may be the first stop on your shopping tour after arriving in Beijing. Stretching more than 1.8 km, Wangfujing is often crowded with window shoppers, checking out the famous brand stores, most of which are located in the grand Oriental Plaza mall. Sun Dong An Plaza, another popular mall, is a magnet for the young: bright and full of life. People look for traditional Chinese art and craft works as well as quality jewellery in the Wangfujing Arts and Crafts Building. There are also time-honored Chinese brands, such as Shengxifu hats and Tongbihe shoes.
Xidan
Silver Street Jianguomenwai Street The Silk Market or Xiushui Street If you need a personal tour guide in Beijing, please check these personal tour guides. You can also check these travel agencies in China to find a great travel deal. Do not forget these important websites on Beijing and blogs talking about Beijing. You may want to check these bars and hotels in Beijing.   |
