39.What to Buy
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Shopping
What to Buy
Beijing is a wonderland for any shopping
enthusiast, with a dazzling range of items available. Bear in mind that
all prices outside of department stores are negotiable.
Antiques and Art
The Chinese Government has banned the
export of antiques dating from earlier than 1911. Breaking this law
could result in a hefty fine or a jail term. If you let antique vendors
know that you are familiar with this law, you may be able to lower the
price of reproductions. Genuine antiques are supposed to have an
official red seal of authenticity, but these are sometimes faked.
Antique and art dealers should be able to organize the export documents,
packing and shipping of your items. Antiques are tax free as long as
they are exported. Prime centers for antique and art shopping are the
Panjiayuan antique market, Yandai Xiejie (Old Pipe Street), the Qianmen
area and Liulichang Street.
Souvenir carving.
Clothes and Silk
Beijing is awash in designer clothes,
cheap clothing outlets and brand name knock-offs, as well as a glorious
array of textiles. For clothes shopping, the Wangfujing shopping
district, Da Zhalan Street and the Ya Xiu Clothing Market will keep you
busy for hours. To buy silk fabric, try the Ruifu Xiang Silk Fabric
Store on Wangfujing Street, friendship stores and government tourism
stores. Many of the markets have silk products like scarves, robes,
pajamas, shirts and ties. The Silk Market is actually a huge collection
of stalls selling knock-off items and cheap goods, as well as some silk
products.
Jewelry
Beautiful jewelry bargains of pearls,
jade, coral, crystal, amber, emerald and silver are scattered throughout
Beijing. For pearls head to the Hong Qiao Pearl Market near the Temple
of Heaven. Before you enter the markets, learn how to shop for pearls
and gems as there are many fakes.
Souvenirs
There is something for everyone when
looking for souvenirs in Beijing. Popular choices include: “chops”
(stone or jade stamps carved with your name written in Chinese
characters), reproduction antiques, cloisonné enamel ware, embroidered
textiles, chopsticks, fans, calligraphy scrolls, as well as porcelain
(which often contains high levels of lead so use it for decoration only,
not for food serving) and copies of the terracotta warriors.
Tea
Tea in 18th Century chinese porcelain bowl.
For tea lovers, the place to go is
MaLianDao Tea City which contains over a hundred tea vendors in a
four-storey market. As you enter you’ll be swept up with a heady
fragrance of hundreds of varieties of tea. On the different levels there
are a range of small tea shops as well as large tea companies. Venders
may allow you to try samples of different varieties as you make your
selections. Many exquisite tea pots and cups are also available.
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