Beijing Shopping

As an aspiring, confident and modern metropolis, Beijing has had unprecedented pace of development in recent years. Countless plazas, mage-malls, shopping centers etc. seem to sprout up virtually over night, making the city a real shopping paradise, joining Shanghai as the second major commercial center of China. Capital Beijing is honored as the main representative of the finest arts and crafts associated with traditional oriental features. All those four catagories----cloisonne, ivory carving, jade ware and lacquer ware are considered to be the most famous ones. You will be glad to find those delicate items with both aesthetic and practical values such as silks, embroidery, calligraphy and painting, antiques, traditional musical instruments etc. in the city. Join the happy shopping journey with TOC now!

What to shop

Cloisonne

Cloisonne was originated in Beijing in Yuan Dynasty and reached its peak in Ming. Pieces from that period are nearly priceless, being greatly prized by collectors worldwide. It is an enamel ware, in which the different colors of the designs are separated by thin metal strips on a metal base - usually copper.

The process begins with casting bronze into the desired shapes such as a vase, bracelet, bowl or box. A flat copper wire is then affixed into a decorative pattern. Enamels of different colors are applied by brush to fill the 'cloisons', or hollows. Each piece is kiln fired three times with a new coal of enamel added each time. After each firing, the pieces are ground and polished to a gold hue.

Beijingers love Cloisonne, and they would like to decorate their homes with it. Cloisonne items can be found all over Beijing in the form of jewelry, vases, bowls, and boxes. The most expensive and valuable pieces are of unusual shapes and sizes. Take a close look at an expensive piece and you will notice that all of the 'cloisons' are nearly completely filled in, and few pin holes show in the enamel. Cloisonne is truly the finest of traditional Chinese handicrafts.

Jade Carvings

Jade, Yu in Chinese, refers not only to the minerals nephrite and jadeite, but also means precious, pure, noble as well as "stone worthy of carving". Chinese people consider jade as a stone descended from heaven, a real rarity indeed. Hetian Jade from Xinjiang, Hsiuyen Jade from Liaoning, Dushan Jade from Henan and Turquoise from Hubei are honored as the top four jades in China. Each of them enjoys great fame in both home and abroad. It is said that wearing precious jade ornaments can bring good luck and health, thus it is pretty popular all over the country.

There are several tips for you to protect your jades: a) avoid colliding with something hard; b) avoid constant exposure to the sun, since it may affect its texture and colors; c) avoid chemicals. Such chemicals as liquid detergent, soap, insecticide, makeup, perfume etc. are all bad for jades. Thus if your jade had got some staff on it, please clean it promptly; d) Clean it regularly with clear water. Do not use liquid detergent or soap to wash it.

Antiques

Because of its important historic status to be ancient capitals, Beijing has attracted countless antique-seekers from all over the world to come for treasures. Before your purchasing, there is something important that you should keep in mind. In China, anything made prior to 1949 is considered as an antique; antiques that date prior to 1795 are forbidden for sale or export. And those dated between 1795 and 1949 should bear a small red wax seal and a Certificate for Relics Export from the Beijing Cultural Relics Bureau (BCRB) to allow them to be taken out of China, with which they could also be proved to be genuine. Keep all the receipts and certificatescarefully, as you may be under inspection at the Chinese customs. If your antiques are with no certificates or wax seal, they have to be taken away to BCRB for application. Plenty of antique shopping areas such as Liulichang Cultural Street and Beijing Curio City are available in Beijing. You are assured to enjoy yourself to the full!

Silks

For centuries, silk has been one of the most vital items in the trade with other countries. When transferred to western countries along the Silk Road(The first evidence of the silk trade is the finding of silk in the hair of an Egyptian mummy of the 21st dynasty, c.1070 BC. Ultimately the silk trade reached as far as the Indian subcontinent, the Middle East, Europe, and North Africa. This trade was so extensive that the major set of trade routes between Europe and Asia was gradually known as the Silk Road), it appears outside a gorgeous dress or an exquisite accessory, however, it bears inside the weight of the transmission of the Eastern splendid civilization. From then on, silk has been an active spreader and the main symbol of the time-honored oriental culture and civilization.

The methods of production have been carefully guarded as secrets for years. All that we know is the story of one small cocoon with the ability to yield an incredible two kilometers of silk thread. Just as the mysterious pyramids to me, silk is a secret.

Friendship shops and government tourism stores are the best bet for purchases because of the wide selections and fine qualities available.

Embroidery

Embroidery is one of the original folk arts of China. According to many historical accounts, embroideries were added designs on dresses, skirts and other clothing over 4,000 years ago. The history of silk and embroideries parallel as most embroideries have been done in silk threads. Elaborate embroideries were added to imperial and court robes, especially during the Qing Dynasty. The most known embroideries in China are Suzhou embroidery, Hunan embroidery, Guangdong embroidery and Sichuan embroidery. Among them, Suzhou embroidery features in beautiful patterns, neat colours, fine embroidering and vivid pictures, thus enjoys the most popularity throughout the world.

Paintings and Calligraphy scrolls

Calligraphy, or Chinese calligraphy, is a traditional Chinese-styled art works. It is one of the most precious treasures in China and is spoken highly by a lot of world-class art masters as well. It is said that Chinese calligraphy is not just for fun, but also for spiritual improvement. Both writing and appreciating are full of enjoyment. All those large seal script, small seal script, clerical script, cursive hand, regular script and semi-cursive script have their own characteristics. And the greatest calligrapher-Wang Xizhi and his incredible semi-cursive script have influenced many calligraphers thereafter. While, Chinese painting is another quintessence of our culture, for which landscapes, figures, birds and flowers are the most highly regarded subjects. The landscape paintings reflect the harmonious relationship between human beings and the nature; paintings centering on birds and flowers show the ambience of Mother Nature; paintings with the theme of figures present the complicated relations among people. All these three form the whole universe. What a fantastic combination!

Both paintings and calligraphy have traditionally been affixed to scrolls and never framed. A lot of valued works can be found for sale all over Beijing, varying in age, quality and price. Most come with custom boxes making them fairly safe to transport.

Where to shop

Beijing is a real shopping paradise where one can always get what he desires, from the latest fashions to the traditional arts and crafts. Shopping here is usually hassle free, as most shopping centers have foreign currency exchange counters and accept major credit cards. Beijing is flooded with finest shopping malls which offer fashion clothes, exquisite accessories, smart gadgets and other items from all the major international brands. Both Xiushui Street and Yaxiu Clothing Wholesale market are great choices for fashion clothes. Such latest commercial hubs as Oriental Plaza, Guomao Shopping Center and Zhongguancun Square are also available. Besides, four large business areas---Wangfujing, Qianmen, Xidan and Dongsi Street are all ideal places for shopping.

Beijing Xiushui Street

Beijing Xiushui Street is the only worldwide fashion market of China, just as renowned as Great Wall, Imperial Palace and Beijing Duck, at the top of the must-see list. Founded in the year 1980, Xiushui Street started as a market of scattered small shops. However, 10 years later, it turned out to be the most popular commercial center in the city, attracting thousands of daily visitors. The complete range of products, unique geographical location, "bargain-over-the-price " operation pattern as well as the "multi-dialects" communicating ways make up this special Xiushui Street, a great mixture of brands, fashion and cultures.

Location: East Chang'an Road, Jianguomen, Chaoyang district, Beijing.

How to get there: take bus No. 1, 4, 9, 28, 37, 43, 120, 126, 403, 639, 640, 668, 673 and stop at Yong'anli. Or Subway Line1 and get off at Yong'anli Station.

Commercial Zones

Wangfujing Street is the first famous commercial zone associated with a wide variety of shops and boutiques where you can find commodities of world-known brands. Here you can also have a taste of many yummy local snacks, enjoying sideshows simultaneously. Used to be a business center in ancient China, Qianmen Street is currently under redevelopment. After the rebuilt, it will show its elegance of the early twentieth century, becoming the second pedestrian thoroughfare in the Chinese capital. To the west of Tiananmen Square, there stands the Xidan Commercial Street. Honored as 'the second Wangfujing' in Beijing, it now consists of mainly food markets, clothes stores and entertainment centers, a very good combination of shopping, dining, recreation and culture. Our guide will show you around all these wonderful commercial centers and an easy private shopping time will be left for you.

Editor's words:

Do remember to bargain when you shop in the Xiushui Street. Besides, you'd better bring your own shopping bags instead of using plastic bags, for the environment protection purpose, of course. Wish you a great journey here!

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