Archive for the ‘Beijing Top 10’ Category

Top 10 Beijing Markets

Wednesday, March 15th, 2023
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Dear Travellers

We’d like to have the following quick guide to remain updated for the benefit of new visitors who would like to go shopping at the markets in Beijing.

If anybody having used the piece finds necessary updates, please leave a message or feedback. Thanks!
__________________________

Plan your Beijing tour? If you are not interested in shopping at high-end Beijing shopping malls, where everything seems to be overpriced at fixed prices, then why not dig into the plentiful free or flea markets where you can enjoy bargaining with the local vendors.

If you are not familiar with the markets in Beijing, you may follow us to explore the top 10 Beijing markets below. I’m sure you will get what you want to enrich your Beijing trip.

Note: We have offered subway information on how to get to the following markets. You may use the Beijing subway map to guide you to get to these markets. Happy Shopping in Beijing!

One thing you should know is that Beijing’s overall urban blueprint has been in the process of adjusting, upgrading and standardizing.  Many busy and noisy lively markets have been removed from the urban central areas and resettled in the relatively remote outskirts of Beijing.

Some lucky ones have been gentrified and placed indoors like Silk Market (now actually a huge 5-story mansion). Some of the vendors have been evacuating from the old market places and settled elsewhere. The golden “flea market” time in Beijing has been fading, gradually diluted by gentrification and disneyfication.

Normally all the markets are open all year round except Chinese Spring Festival. Most of the markets will be closed for 5 days during China Spring Festival (China’s lunar new year).

By the way, most of the department stores and shopping malls are still open during the biggest holiday in China. Most of the listed markets are mainly composed of private vendors who need to go home for family reunion for the big holiday.

Top 1: Silk Street Market 秀水街市场

Brief introduction: Placemaking in 1977. Renovation: 2019 ( JERDE is honoured to be part of the silk street renovation team). So the old silk street market has been demolished long before. The present Silk Street Market is actually a department-like store ( 5 above and 2 under ) with a floor area of 28,000 square meters.

The exterior of Silk Street Market Mansion

There are now over 500 booths in the building. According to the developer of the building, the advantages of the old market are still kept intact in the present market, targeting the international tourists and local white-collar workers.

Floor Information ( Silk Street Market )

The Silk Street Market cover multiple kinds of goods, including clothing ( F2 and F3); shoes and bags ( B1) ; silk, jewellery and handicrafts ( F4);Coffee, Haute Couture / Jewellery/Clothing alteration service, art gallery ( F5), Grocery Supermarket ( fruit and vegetables at B2), which are favoured by consumers all over the world.

Women’s Clothing and Apparel (F2 & F3)
Men’s Clothing and Apparel (F3)
Women’s Shoes (B1)
luggage & travel accessories ( B1)

Location: 8 Xiushui East Street, Jianwai Dajie, Chaoyang, Beijing 北京市朝阳区建外大街秀水东街8号
Tel::(010) 56767766
Opening Hours: 9am-9pm
Subway: take subway line 1 and get off at the station of Yonganli (永安里), and exit from Exit A
Public Transport: Bus No.1,9,28,37,43,120,126,403,639,640,668,728,and 729, arrival at Yonganli Station

Top 2: Panjiayuan Flea Market 潘家园旧货市场

Brief introduction: Panjiayuan Flea Market, or Panjiayuan Market, or Panjiayuan Antique Market, or whatever names you use, is a must for those who like something really Chinese. From Monday to Thursday, it is open from 8:30am to 6:00pm.

On weekend, it is open from 4:30am to 6:00pm. We suggest you go to Panjiayuan on weekends. Only on weekends, you will find some vendors coming from all parts of China to show their personal stuff or artifacts they collect and sell on the ground in a designated area in the market.

Panjiayuan Flea Market
Panjiayuan Flea Market

They just put a piece of blanket on the floor and put what they have on it.If you come here on other week days, you won’t see these free vendors. It is actually a huge market place for selling and collecting Chinese folk handcrafts, maybe the largest in Asia!

What you will see are jewellery, ceramics, calligraphy, teapots, ethnic clothing, Buddha statues, paper lanterns, Cultural Revolution memorabilia, PLA belts, Ming- and Qing-style furniture, old pipes, opium scales, and many more.
Check out Panjiayuan Flea Market for more information.

Location: No.18, Huaweili Road, just 100 meters west of Panjiayuan Bridge on the southeast third ring road.
地址:北京市朝阳区潘家园桥华威里18号
Tel: 5120-4671

Opening Hours: Monday to Thursday open from 8:30am to 6:00pm; On weekend, open from 4:30am to 6:00pm
Subway: take subway line 10 and get off at the station of Panjiayuan (潘家园)
Public Transport: Take bus 28, 300, 368, 607, 730, 810 or 907 and get off at Panjiayuan Station.

Top 3: Beijing Antique City 古玩城

Brief introduction: Beijing Antique City ( former Beijing Curio City) is a four-story building. It is located just to the west of Huawei Bridge on the southeast third ring road, about 300 meters south of Panjiayuan Flee Market.

It is the largest Chinese antique trade center in Asia.

Beijing Antique City
Beijing Antique City

Beijing antique city has a total floor space of 26400㎡. The building is elegantly decorated. At present it has antique over 600 dealers, mainly selling the classical furniture, the ancient clock and watch, the ancient rug, the ancient ceramics, the celebrity calligraphy and painting, the Baiyu ivory carving, the snuffbox.

It also offers the ancient rug, the copper ware image of Buddha, the ancient clock and watch, the ancient ceramic antique chinaware, the Tibetan cultural relic and much more.

Location: 21 Dongsanhuan Nan Lu, Chaoyang District, Beijing, China (located just to the west of Huawei Bridge on the east-south third ring road, about 300 meters south of Panjiayuan Flee Market.)
地址:北京市朝阳区东三环南路21
Tel: 010-5960901,59609011

Opening Hours: 10am-7pm
Subway: take subway line 10 and get off at the station of Panjiayuan (潘家园). Beijing Antique City is located to the south of Panjiayuan Flea Market.
Public Transport: Take bus 28, 300, 3 52, 378, 7 57, 830 or 986 and get off at Shilihe Station.

Top 4: Hongqiao Pearl Market 红桥市场

Brief introduction: The name of Hongqiao Pearl Market is a little bit misleading. This four-story building offers much more than just pearls. It actually provides everything from bags, shoes, clothes, silk, tea, table-cloth, toys, souvenirs, to pears and jewellery.

It is just located east of the Temple of Heaven. Its main entrance – the west gate faces the road across the Temple of Heaven. If you drive to the market, you are supposed to get off at its north side gate.

Beijing Hongqiao Market
Beijing Hongqiao Market

The market has four stories. The first floor sells digital products, timepieces and glasses, Groceries, mobile phone parts and daily necessities; the second floor offers clothes, shoes, cases and bags; the third floor provides pearls, jades and artifacts; the forth floor sells the high-end jewellery. Check out Hongqiao Pearl Market for more information.

Location: 9 Tiantan Donglu, Dongcheng District (just opposite the east gate of Temple of Heaven)
地址:东城区天坛东路9号
Tel: 6711-8984

Opening Hours: 8:30am-7pm
Subway: take Subway Line 5 and get off at the station of Tiantandongmen ( East Gate of Temple of Heaven 天坛东门). Then walk to the north you will see the market.
Take bus: 39, 43, 60, 116, 610

Top 5: Liulichang Antique Street 琉璃厂

Brief introduction: On both sides of the street there are about 100 storefronts and vendors’ stalls selling collectibles and art supplies, including woodblock prints, copies of famous calligraphy, historic paintings (reproductions) and more.

Rongbaozhai is one of Beijing’s top art shops and well worth browsing, actually Rongbaozhai is located on the west section of Liulichang Street. To get to Liulichang Xijie ( the west section of Liulichang Street) on your right side, you have to across the main street.

Rongbaozhai’s business scope is very wide, ranging from ink, paper and inkstone, to fan albums; from painting and seal cutting to mounting a picture scroll, almost everything from ordinary people to cultural celebrities, all of them are enthusiastic customers of Rongbaozhai.

Liulichang Antique Street

Location: Liulichang Street, Xicheng District;
地址:西城区琉璃厂
Opening Hours: 8:30am-7pm
Subway: take subway line 2 and get off at the station of Hepingmen (和平门), and exit from the Exit C2 (check old Beijing Walking Tour for more information.)
Bus No.s 6, 14, 15, 25, 50, 53, 57, 102 and 105.

Top 6: Shilihe House Building Materials City 十里河家居建材城

Are you going to upgrade your home in Beijing? No matter  you are a do-it-yourselfer or would like outsource your home decor, Beijing Shilihe Household Building Materials City is your one-stop market.

Though its Chinese name “City” suggests its expansiveness, the market is less a city than a street, a household building materials commercial street. It is the largest home improvement market in Beijing, similar to a cluster of Home Depot stores in the States or Canada as well.

Getting there is just a breeze. It is located in the southeast corner of the Third Ring Road in Beijing. Take subway line 10 ( or Line 14 anf 17 ) and get off at the station of Shilihe Zhan ( 十里河站)and exit at Exit K2 or J , you will be on the market street ( located at 100 meters east of Shilihe Bridge, East Third Ring Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 北京市朝阳区东三环十里河桥东100米 (十号地铁K2出口).

Lights and Lighting Section of Shilihe House Building Materials City
A lights decoration store in the market

Location: 100 meters east of Shilihe Bridge, East Third Ring Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing
北京市朝阳区东三环十里河桥东100米 (十号地铁K2出口)
Take subway line 10 ( or Line 14 anf 17 ) and get off at the station of Shilihe Zhan ( 十里河站)and exit at Exit K2 or J . Then walk along Dayangfang Road (大羊坊路), then you will see the a group of buildings for all the stuff you will need.
For more information, please click: Beijing Shilinhe Household Building Materials City.

Top 7 Sanyuanli Market (Food & Produce)三源里菜市场

Sanyuanli Market is located in Shunyuanli, Chaoyang District, Beijing. The market was built in October 1992, with a business area of 1560 square meters and 139 booths, selling vegetables, fruits, fresh meat, aquatic products, non-staple food seasonings, grain and oil, pasta tea, general merchandise and daily necessities. The market is a standardized community vegetable market of Beijing.

Fresh Produce in Sanyuanli Market

Sanyuanli Market has become the food and produce shopping channel for more than 10,000 households and 30,000 residents in Xinyuanli, Sanyuanli and Shunyuanli communities, as well as the surrounding hotels and restaurants. Guests from foreign embassies, hotels and foreign-related enterprises also frequently patronize this market.

ADD: Left side of Building 2, Shunyuanli, Ease Third Ring Road, Beijing
BUS: 403,300/YUNTONG104 at Sanyuanqiao Station
Subway: Line 10 Liangmaqiao Station

Top 8: Baoguosi Culture Market 报国寺文化市场

The old open-air Baoguosi Culture Market is closed. But the marekt is there keeping some of its delicate indoor markets. Today Baoguosi Cultural Market is still a cultural market based on Chinese books, stamps and coins. So you still can see some quiet and lively antique trade business going on inside the market ( indoor buildings ).

Brief introduction: “Baoguosi” means Baoguo Temple ( Serving the country Temple ). It was first constructed in the Liao Dynasty (916-1125) in the southern part of downtown Beijing. Baoguo Si was a Buddhist temple. The main hall of the temple has been now transformed into a coin hall, a book and newspaper hall, a ticket and certificate hall, a comic book hall, etc.

Baoguosi Cultural Market

Top 9: Yandai Xiejie Market 烟袋斜街

In Beijing, there still exist some places where you can see the old streets, typical Northern Chinese buildings and authentic Beijing folk culture despite of the fast pace of the local urbanization and gentrification.

Yandai Xiejie ( or Yandai Byway or Old Pipe Street 烟袋斜街) is one of such old commercial streets that showcase Beijing’s past. Yandai Byway was originally formed in Yuan Dynasty (1271 – 1368) and further developed and reached its height in late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Yandai, literally “Smoking Pipes”, was once lined up with many shops selling smoking pipes, hence the name of Yandai.

Silk Blouses and silk clothes for ladies

Today the general outline of the byway is still intact with many buildings sticking to their originality – shop front residence. Beside keeping the tradition of selling smoking pipes, antiques and jade, the lean street also sells silk, tea, Beijing snacks,etc. There are trendy bars and small eateries on the street.

Location: The 232-meter-long market street is located about 50 meters south of Drum Tower. For more information, please check out How to Visit Yandai Xiejie.

Top 10 Nanluoguxiang Hutong 南锣鼓巷

Now almost every Beijing first-time visitor wants to be lost in the maze of Nanluoguxiang hutong teemed with side lanes. People want to be lost in the past, in the tradition, in the passing passengers, in a fad and in the future. Time is flying here and getting older.

Vendors at Nanluoguxiang Hutong

The 786-meter long south-north Nanluoguxiang Hutong is lined with numerous trendy bars, yummy restaurants, unique hostels, lively themed stores and itinerant vendors.

Nanluoguxiang is easily accessible by Subway Line 6 and get off at the station of Nanluoguxiang. Then enter the south entrance to Nanluoguxiang and exit from its north. For more information, please check out How to visit Nanluoguxiang.


The markets below have been either closed or moved somewhere else due to Beijing urban development:

Dahongmen Clothing Wholesale Market 大红门服装批发市场 ( Moved)

( Closed) Important Notice: The vendors have evacuated from the market and settled elsewhere. No More!

This huge market, oft-lauded as the largest clothing market north of Yangtze River in China.

It is located on Beijing’s south axis road starting from Muxiyuan (木樨园) on the south third ring road in the north to the northern bank of Liangshui River (凉水河北岸) , about 7  km south of Tiananmen Square.

The market is composed of 24 comprehensive markets covering clothing, shoes, hats as well as food, antiques and paintings jewelry, cultural and creative products. The most well-known markets include Dahongmen Clothing City (大红门服装城) and Dahongmen Shoes City  (大红门鞋城).

Address: 15 Yongnan Road (south of Dahongmen Birdge ), Fengtai District
Chinese Add: 北京市丰台区永南路15号(大红门桥南)
Contact: 67226658

Business Hours:
Dahongmen Early Morning Market (大红门早市):4:30 am – 10:00 am
Dahongmen Clothing Wholesale Market (大红门服装批发市场) : 9:00am – 5:00 pm
Tianya Clothing Plaza (天雅服装大厦) : 9:00 am – 5:00pm
Jingwen Clothing Market (京温服装市场):9:00 am – 5:00pm
Dahongmen Shoes City (大红门鞋城):7:00 am – 4:00pm

Beijing Tianyi Small Commodities Wholesale Market 北京天意小商品批发市场( Closed)

  (permanently closed and removed)
Beijing Tianyi Market has over 2000 suppliers from all over China with over 60,000 small products.

The market has a business area of 11000 square meters with 20 business halls and 1550 booths.

The market can almost meet your need for  some cheap accessories. It is better to buy large quantities, let’ s say 10 pieces and it is easy to bargain in bulk-buy. The market sells everything such as hairstyles, electronics, souvenirs, toys,  Jewels, door keys, bags, tissues, clothes, cuddly toys, cosmetics, plants, shoes, phone accessories, office supplies,  bookshops, school supplies and many more!!

Business Hour: 7:30am – 5:30pm
Add: No. 259, Fuchengmen Outer Street, Xicheng District, Beijing, China, 100037
中国北京市西城区阜成门外大街259号 邮政编码: 100037
Subway line 2: Take subway line 2 and get off at the station of “Fuchengmen station”(阜成门), exit from Exit A, then walk westward along Fuchengmen Outer Street (阜成门外大街) for about 1.2 km, coming across 2 traffic lights,  you will see  the market on your right side ( No.259).

Zoo Market 动物园服装批发市场 ( Closed & Moved)

Important Notice: The vendors have evacuated from the market and settled elsewhere. No More!

Brief introduction: This is a huge wholesale market group which is composed of seven markets. Beijing Zoo Market is mainly composed of 7 sub-markets: 1) 金开利德 (Jinkaili) 2) 天乐宫 (Tianlegong) 3) 天皓城 (Tianhaocheng) 4) 东鼎 (Dongding) 5) 聚龙 (Julong) 6) 世纪天乐 (Shijitianle) 7) 众合 (Hezhong).

And the most popular ones are Julong, Tianlegong and Shiji Tianle.Buy them here for half-price but be geared up for bargaining hard or buy in volume.

Everything is so cheap and so plentiful here!! Anywhere from 10-50 RMB for shirts, tops, jeans, pants, skirts, everything. Jewelry for about 10-15RMB. In some places they can be more expensive, but about 90% are the cheap prices listed above.

Weekday mornings are the best time to come and be prepared to spend a few hours walking around. There are also various places to eat in the area: KFC and McDonalds, Yonghe Soy Milk, Pizza Hut, Yoshinoya, Dairy Queen, A&W, Mexican Restaurant …

Location: Around Beijing Zoo, Xizhimen Waidajie, Xicheng District
Tel: 010-68312001

Opening Hours: 5:00am – 3:00pm
Subway: Take Subway Line 4, get off at Beijing Zoo Station ( 动物园)and exit from Exit D
Public Transport: Bus No.s 7, 27, 103, 105 and 111.206, 209, 319, 334, 347, 360, 362, 534, 601, 632, 634, 697, 714, 808, 814, 特4, Yuntong 104, Yuntong 105, Yuntong 106 or Yuntong 205 and get off at Beijing Zoo Station.

Tip: Hassle-free Beijing Guided Tours

If you don’t want to go the do-it-yourself route and prefer the hassle-free escorted tours,  here are some options for Beijing guided tours:

Car Rental in Beijing
Beijing Day Tour
Beijing Tour Packages
Beijing Winter Tour
Great Wall Tour
Beijing Tours
China City Tours
China Tour

Further Readings


Best Time to Visit Beijing
How to plan a trip to Beijing

Top 10 Attractions in Beijing
How to Visit Forbidden City
How to Visit Temple of Heaven
How to Visit Summer Palace
How to Visit Ming Tombs
How to Visit the Great Wall of China
How to Visit Tiananmen Square
How to Visit Hutongs
How to Visit Olympic Sites

Top 10 Markets in Beijing
Top 10 Shopping Malls in Beijing
Beijing Shopping

Wangfujing Night Snack Street
Qianmen Commercial Street
Beijing Huguosi Street

Chinese version of the travel guide:

北京10大小商品批发或旧货市场

Any questions, just drop a line.

10 Tourist Traps & Scams to Avoid in Beijing

Tuesday, March 7th, 2023
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Dear Travellers,

We’d like to have the following travel guide to remain updated for the benefit of new visitors coming to Beijing.

If anybody having used the piece finds necessary updates, please leave a message or feedback. Thanks!

Plan your Beijing tour? Most foreign travellers feel very safe when travelling in Beijing. But that doesn’t mean you should lower your vigilance on possible travel scams in Beijing.

The remark below is quoted from Percy from USA:
Thank you for having this site. As a traveller and student of human nature, I appreciate the scam warnings and the comments. I am a native New Yorker, and I feel it important to remind people that scams are not only in China.

Anywhere around the world where there are larger groups of humans, there will be more opportunities for scams. It seems the way of the Universe that these will be filled. You should always be aware, do research and remember that if it seems off, or too good, it is probably a scam. This is true in China, the U.S., or any other place where humans exist.”

Latest feedback from Denis:
Hi, you website is very helpful. I can share my experience about another scam:

We used an official taxi with the meter, so when the ride was over, we wanted to pay with 100 RMB, as we didn’t have any other bills. The taxi driver didn’t like the bill we gave to him and asked for another one. Then for another one and so on (every time giving back the previous one of course).

He was also friendly but insisted on the other bill and we couldn’t understand what’s wrong and what did he wanted, so we just kindly gave him different bills to try out. At some point we just decided to leave because it started to become annoying.

After some more negotiations he finally took one of our bills, gave us the change and left. The next day, when we tried to pay by cash at a grocery store it appeared that 4 of our bills are fake and I’m quite sure they were not fake before.

Not such a big amount for learning a new type of scam (I have forgotten already that there is such a thing as fake money on the streets) though.

Scam 1: Avoid KTV bars

Whether you enter on your own or taken by a Chinese “friend.”, in most cases you are in for a trap! It is a karaoke place. You enter the room to sing a few songs and have a few beers. Suddenly girls appear and want to drink with you. Then suddenly a cart appears with lots of snacks and beer.

The snacks are NOT free and they are expensive–but more on that later. The girl wants a brandy and you say okay. You will end up paying huge amount of money! Just avoid KTV!

Scam 2:  Tea Scam

At some heavy tourist areas (like Tiananmen Square,Wangfujing Street…),  you will be approached by one or three  attractive females or gentlemen, who are  willing to have a natural and nice talk with you or  even give you a free tour of hutong  in a polite way.  She or he will talk about the interesting things in Beijing, or talk about the culture or history of your home country and even world affairs!

Then if everything goes smoothly, then  invite you to a traditional Chinese tea shops or ceremony. The whole ceremony proceeds then at the end of the ceremony your “friends” will ask you to pick out some favourite teas. So the scam start when it comes time to pay the bill, and it can again run into the hundreds or thousands of dollars. Simply don’t go for it!

To make the tea scam more natural,  they  pretend to be very friendly. They even don’t suggest you pay the whole amount. It is to be split between you and your “friends”.  So you  will see them pay their part. It is a scam!

It happens in central part of Beijing mainly, esp. in Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City and the surroundings.

Scam 3: “Art Student” Scam

Also at some big tourist destinations,  some young people,  disguised as ” art student’”,  will approach you. They offer you a free tour of an art show. Thus begins the “Art Student” scam.

Actually they will take you to an art shop selling all kinds of “art” stuff. This is just a waste of time. You can easily find these art pieces on the market. They sell the same “art” at higher prices. Simply say bye to them.
It happens mainly in historical sites, and public transport hubs. They are good actors(actresses) indeed. To us Chinese people they say they are out job-hunting and is penniless; to overseas travellers they say they are art students. Many of them are very properly dressed.

Scam 4: Rickshaw Scam

Some first-time oversea or even domestic travellers visiting Beijing fall into the traps of some seemingly “humble rickshaw drivers”. For example, let’s say, you and a rickshaw driver agree on a price of RMB 40 for a pedicab ride. It will turn out to be RMB400!. The trick is that your rickshaw driver will pretend to be ignorant and he will pull out a laminated price list and say it is 400 yuan instead of 40 yuan. Better take a taxi than a pedicab.

1) Rickshaw Scam at the North Gate of Forbidden City
There are two entrances to the Forbidden City – the south gate ( Meridian Gate – Wumen)  and north gate( Gate of Divine – Shenwu Men).  The south gate is linked to Tiananmen Square to the south. You have to enter Forbidden City from its south gate and exit from its northern gate, which is officially set as a one-way south to north travel route.

Make sure you are taken by your taxi to the south entrance of Forbidden City (better yet, take the subway line 1 –  its very nice and very cheap!). Don’t ever take a Rickshaw at the north gate of Forbidden City unless you feel like getting lost and extorted.

So if you visit Forbidden City by getting to a wrong gate (north gate), don’t use a local rickshaw to get back to the south gate, just walk to the right gate (south gate). For the same reason, if you exit from the north gate after visiting Forbidden City, don’t use a rickshaw for your next place.

2)  Rickshaw scams also occur at the entrance to the “Legend of Jinsha” which is performed at the Beijing Workers’ Club in Beijing.

3)  Rickshaw scams possible at any places in Beijing
Rickshaw scams could occur at any other places in Beijing. Be Vigilant!

 Scam 5: “Black” Taxis

When arriving at the airport, keep away from the taxi drivers who approach you in the terminal or outside the terminal as they will charge you much more than the actual price. Just following the sign pointing to the taxi line just outside the terminal. Taxi drivers should use their meter; make sure that the driver puts down the flag.

Taking a taxi from the airport to the downtown Beijing costs just over RMB 100 plus RMB 5 toll fee. Beijing legitimate taxi license plates will begin with the “Beijing B” otherwise it is possibly a black taxi!

After paying a legal taxi, you will get a legal computerized receipt in which you can find the taxi company’s phone number while a black driver only offers you a hand-written receipt with which you will never find him! A black driver would charge you RMB 400 – RMB 500 for the airport downtown drive! Normally a taxi ride from the airport to the downtown of Beijing costs you around RMB 120.

Black cars could be found around the subway stations, shopping malls, and also around some major tourist attractions such as Summer Palace, Forbidden City and Wangfujing Street and Beijing Railway Station as well.
By the way, your taxi driver may pull out a very official looking list of all hotels and official airport price. Never believe so-called official taxi-rate list of all hotels and official airport price. Never such a taxi-rate list!

It seems that there is a new kind of scam in Beijing when it comes down to the taxi’s.  Taxi drivers are asking their passengers to get out of the car and help to push it / close the trunk. When the passengers are outside, the drivers takes of with all their belongings.

For more information on taxi, please visit Beijing Taxi.

Scam 6:Outside Memorial Hall of Chairman Mao

When you line up for entering Mausoleum of Mao Zedong, you will probably meet some fake helpers or officials who are trying to “grab” some money from you.  To avoid being cheated, please read the following travel tips:

The admission to Mausoleum of Mao Zedong is free. No need for passport ID check and no need for buying shoes to replace your sandals (though not encouraged). As with most mausoleums, strict rules are enforced for visitors. No bags and cameras are allowed inside the hall. One locker is located 500m to the east of the mausoleum. The deposit is not free ( yes, a little strange)! The charges on deposit locker ranges from CNY 2 to 10.

Scam 7: Scams at Tiananmen Square and Forbidden City

The area around Tiananmen Square and Forbidden City is a favourite hangout for scammers.  Below is a trip by a scam victim named  Akalan:

In fact this was my 4th trip to China, but first trip to Beijing. Many a times many people, usually young ladies chatted with me and they helped me a lot. Even on the same day morning I went to the Great Wall and a young girl with good English walked with me. All those I met earlier were genuine people who just wanted to help a visitor to their country. Most of the time they did not even allow me to pay a bill, ticket price or taxi fare.

With that sort of experience, I had no suspicion on this woman. Still my priority was to get into the Forbidden city ASAP, as it was passed 3pm and I knew that the ticket sales would stop at 4 pm. This lady said that she would show me the “East gate” where I can enter without a long queue. Yes, there was a queue of people at the main entrance.

I simply followed her advice and she walked with me to “show” the entrance. On the way she said she is from Xi’An (a city I visited 1 month ago) and we had quite a good conversation on history, culture and languages. She also explained some history of the area.

She said her friends from another province are there and they will meet her in 10 min. If I can wait 10 min, they also can join me to go inside the Forbidden city. While waiting for them, she suggested me to sit some where and have a tea or fruit juice. In fact after walking and climbing whole morning in Great Wall area, I was thirsty and wanted to sit and stretch my legs. So I agreed.

I tried to sit on some chairs laid outside, but she suggested to go inside – less noisy, less dust and air-conditioned! I picked a Chinese tea and the scam began!

You know the rest. Yes, she split the bill, still I lost a few hundred! Worst thing was that she took me to a gate, assuring that I could enter from there, but obviously there were no ticket counters. I had to get to an electric car. The driver charged 20, instead of 2, as he sensed my urgency!

He actually did not take me to the ticket counters, instead, he stopped somewhere and a woman approached me. She was telling me that the ticket counters are closed and she would sell a ticket to me for 100 ! I did not want to let some one rip me off for 3rd time, within 15 min. Finally when I found the ticket counters, they were closed! So I missed the Forbidden City!

Scam 8: Scams from Itinerant Tour Companies at Streets

AVOID TOURISM COMPANIES, the ones who talk to you at street, promising a great price to go meet Great Wall (for example), they will make you pay more inside the bus, will take you to the worse section of the Great Wall, and prepare yourself for a long day stopping at market places, really awful experience.

If you want sightseeing, get a legal one, from important sites.

Scam 9: Scams at North Gate to Forbidden City

There are two main gates to the Forbidden City – the south gate ( Meridian Gate – Wumen)  and north gate( Gate of Divine – Shenwu Men).  The south gate is linked to Tiananmen Square to the south. You have to enter Forbidden City from its south gate and exit from its north gate, which is officially set as a one-way south to north travel route.

So don’t try to go to the North Gate to Forbidden City.  The North Gate now only serves an exit gate.  If you get to a wrong gate ( the north gate ),  just walk along the streets circling Forbidden City and move on to the south gate. In this case, you are not encouraged to use a rickshaw or a 3-wheel motorcycle taxi at the north gate of Forbidden City.  Some  of the rickshaw and 3-wheel motorcycle taxi drivers are just disgusting swindlers.  Avoid Them!  Below is the account by Bill of the victim at the North Gate to Forbidden City.

I was a victim of two scams in the same day! The first was with a 3-wheel motorcycle taxi at the north gate of the forbidden city. I was offered a ride to the south gate for 3 Yuan. The taxi drove through a maze of narrow alleys and he stopped at an isolated spot. Then he demanded 300 Yuan, about $48.

The second incident was the tea shop routine. A nice couple invited me to a local place near Tiananmen square. I told them about the taxi incident and they sounded shocked and empathetic! We were given snacks (2 Yuan per bag in the store), some high quality tea, orange juice, and about 1-2 ounces of wine. The bill was 1200 Yuan plus 100 for the tip. He paid half (money probably borrowed from the owner), but I was still squeezed for over $100.

The next day, near the same square, a woman began a nice friendly conversation with me and tried to do the same thing. The good-bye was very quick.

Scam 10:  The Counterfeit Money Scam

Hi there – another scam to add to the list is the counterfeit money. We used a standalone ATM at the silk markets and received many hundreds of RMB that was fake. We didn’t know of course – its nearly impossible to tell. Now we have some lovely souvenirs that look like 100 RMB notes 🙂
The advice would be to use a bank ATM I guess.

More Tourist Scams:

Tourist scam on Chinese Medicine ( Feedback from christian Holscher )
There is a tourist scam where people pretend to be part of the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences. They pretend to be doctors and ‘diagnose’ an illness just by taking the pulse. Then, they sell very expensive pills which are most likely just herbal remedies.

The company does not give receipts for their sale, and no address or contact number was provided. They clearly do not pay tax. All what they give to the customer is a worthless certificate with no address. The real of this company can be found on the credit card receipt.

Tip:  Hassle-free Beijing Guided Tours

If you don’t want to go for self-guided tours and prefer the hassle-free escorted tours,  here are some options for guided tours to Beijing:

Beijing Day Tour
Beijing Tour Package
Great Wall Tour
Beijing Tour
Beijing Winter Tour
Car Rental in Beijing
China City Tours
China Tour

Further Readings


Best Time to Visit Beijing
How to plan a trip to Beijing

Top 10 Attractions in Beijing
Top 10 Tourist Scams Beijing
How to Visit Tiananmen Square
How to Visit Forbidden City
How to Visit Temple of Heaven
How to Visit Summer Palace
How to Visit Ming Tombs
How to Visit the Great Wall of China
How to Visit Hutongs
How to Visit Olympic Sites

Top 10 Markets in Beijing
Top 10 Shopping Malls in Beijing
Beijing Shopping

Wangfujing Snack Street
Qianmen Commercial Street
Beijing Huguosi Street

Any questions, just drop a line.

Top 10 Beijing Shopping Malls

Sunday, March 5th, 2023
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Plan your Beijing tour? Are you planning to visit one or two of the local malls to feel the vibe and mix with the locals? Beijing has over 100 large and medium-sized shopping centres or malls. For your convenience, We’d like to round up our chosen list of the top 10 shopping malls in Beijing, and you may choose the one or two close to where you stay for a shopping trip.

If you are not interested in shopping at high-end Beijing shopping malls, where everything seems to be overpriced at fixed prices, you may explore another page of the top 10 markets in Beijing.

Note: We have offered subway information on how on how to get to the following shopping malls. You may use the Beijing subway map to guide you to get to these malls. Happy Shopping in Beijing!

Top 1: Beijing apm (Xindong’an Plaza) 北京新东安广场

“Beijing apm”means “from am (morning) to pm (evening)”, implying that Beijing apm will appropriately extend the business hours, especially the evening business hours to attract more Beijing young consumer groups aged 19 to 35 years old and targeting the youth fashion.

Beijing amp ( Photo Credit: www.beijingapm.cn)

Beijing apm gathers more than 100 international famous Chinese and Western brands in the fields of international cosmetics, fashion trend, cutting-edge sports, digital technology and online Influential catering.

Beijing apm is committed to creating a new landmark of one-stop shopping, entertainment, and leisure life incorporated into in Wangfujing area, attracting more young fashion groups, and opening a brand new lifestyle in Beijing.

Add: 138 Wangfujing Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing
Opening Hours: 10:00-22:00
Tel: 010-58176995
Web: www.beijingapm.cn
Subway: Taking Subway Line 1 and get off at Wangfujing Station, exit from Exit B1

Top 2: TaiKoo Li Sanlitun 三里屯太古里

It is dubbed as the capital’s hottest fashion destination and the coolest place to hang out.

Taikoo Li Sanlitun is the first comprehensive commercial project of Swire Properties in Mainland China. It is an open shopping district consisting of 19 low-density contemporary buildings. The project is divided into two areas: the south and the north, which are integrated with the surrounding buildings. It also maintains relative independence.

TaiKoo Li Sanlitun (Photo Credit: english.visitbeijing.com.cn)

Sanlitun Taikoo Li itself represents a cultural gathering, so it’s all about people: creating art and leading fashion as well as enjoying food, shopping and fun. It houses th e popular fashion brands such as Uniqlo, Steve Madden, Esprit, Mango, the Apple Store and Adidas’ flagship store and the list is much much longer, also including numerous restaurants and a multi-plex cinema.

Add: Courtyard 19, Sanlitun Road, Sanlitun
Tel: 10-6417 6110 / 010-6417 7110
Web: www.taikoolisanlitun.com/en/
Opening Hours: 10am-10pm

Subway: take subway line 10 and get off at at the station of Tuanjiehu (团结湖), and exit from Exit A, 500 meters to the west; take Line 6 to Dongdaqiao Station (东大桥), exit B, 700 meters to the north.;take Line 2 to Dongsishitiao (东四十条)Station, exit from Exit C.

Top 3:The Malls at Oriental Plaza 东方新天地

The Malls occupies a total area of 130,000 sq. m. and is an integral part of Oriental Plaza – one of the largest commercial complexes in Asia. Situated in the heart of Beijing, the complex is located between Gold Street (Wangfujing Street) and Silver Street (North Dongdan Street).

The Malls at Oriental Plaza

The Malls is a popular shopping destination for both local residents and visitors alike.
Add: No.1 East Chang An Avenue, strategically located along Wangfujing Street, Beijing
Tel: 85188888-2272
Web: www.orientalplaza.com/eng/
Opening Hours: 10:00-22:00

Subway: take subway line 1 and get off at the station of Wangfujing (王府井), exit from the Exit A

Top 4: Solana – Beijing Lifestyle Shopping Mall 蓝色港湾

Solana Lifestyle Shopping Park is like a small town coming from the European by air. It is a perfect blend between commercial civilization and the natural landscape and is full of innovation and surprises.

As a water shortage city of Beijing, SOLANA has a superior hydrophilic environment on its three sides, the south and east are teeming with the water from Chaoyang Park, and the north from Landmark Lake.

If not in person, you are hard to believe that there is such a beautiful environment in the city center! Solana houses more than 1,000 international brands, with dozens of retail shops, restaurants as well as a lively bar and clubs.

Solana – Beijing Lifestyle Shopping Mall

Add: 6 Chaoyang Park Road
Tel: 010 5905-6565
Opening Hours:
Mon-Thu 11am-9:30pm, Fri-Sun 11am-10pm
Web: www.solana.com.cn

Subway: Take subway line 10 and get off at the station of Liangmahe (亮马河), exit from Exit B, then have a long walk to the east along Liangma Qiao Road (亮马桥路), till the second traffic light, then turn south, down to the northwest corner of Chaoyang Park where Solana is located.

Top 5: Parkview Green 芳草地商业

Parkview Green is located on the west side of Dongdaqiao Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, close to the core of Beijing CBD. Parkview Green is an innovative building with a total area of 200,000 square meters, integrating top office buildings, fashion shopping, art and boutique hotel.

With the strong international atmosphere and the advantage of the commercial location, Parkview Green is committed to building a diversified commercial and cultural leisure complex in Beijing.

Parkview Green ( Photo Credit: www.parkviewgreen.com)

Parkview Green’s leading environmental design, concept of sustainable development and rich artistic atmosphere constitute the unique characteristics of Parkview Green, bringing new and unique experience to every visitor.

Add: 9 Dongdaqiao Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing
Business Hours: 10:00-22:00 Monday to Sunday
Web: www.parkviewgreen.com/cn/
Subway:
Line 1: Get off at Yonganli Station, Exit A
Line 6: Get off Dongqiao Station, Exit A

Top 6: China World Mall 国贸商城

China World Mall provides consumers with a number of international luxury brand flagship stores and new concept products leading the trend.

China World Mall and CBD ( Photo Credit: cwtc.cn )

China World Mall is active with the skating rink full of dynamic. The bookstore and the cinema bring you the spiritual pleasure. Chinese and Western retautrants cater to the needs of various tastes. Fashion clothing, home furnishing, entertainment and leisure, catering services are all available, creating a one-stop high-end consumption palace.

Add: No 1, Jianguomenwai Street, Chaoyang District, Beijing
Tel: 010-65357586
Web: www.chinaworldmall.com.cn
Subway: take subway line 1 and get off at Dabeiyao and exit fron Exit B

Top 7: The Place 世贸天阶

The Place is mainly composed of the huge screen in the middle and two luxury buildings on its both sides. People walk around under the screen enjoying the space art, high technique, lighting. The Place is also a place for luxury shopping and gourmet experience.

There are several open-air bars for you to relax. The Place is a blend of shopping mall, office building, Space Art and Fashion. The Place is designed by Jeremy Railton. He is also the designer for the world largest electric screen in Las Vegas. Two four-story malls house Tourneau, China’s largest watch boutique, D&G, Ferrari and English-language bookstore Chaterhouse.

The Place at night

Add: 9 Guanghua Lu, Beijing
Tel: 010 6587-1188

Subway: Take subway line 1 and get off at the station of Yonganli (永安里), exit from the exit B, then walk to the north along Dongdaqiao Road (东大桥路). After the first crossroad, you will see the Place on your right hand. 

Top 8: Joy City 大悦城 ( Xidan & Chaoyang)

Xidan Joy City 西单大悦城
It is the biggest shopping mall in Xidan. Xidan Joy City has 13-story complex equipped with the world’s longest escalator. It also has the largest digital cinema in China and the largest cosmetic shop in Beijing. Find Zara here as well as FAB, Uniqlo, Next, Motivi and Honeys.

Add: 131 Xidan Beidajie, Xicheng District, Beijing
Subway: take subway Line 1, get off at the station of Xidan (西单), exit from the exit F1

Chaoyang Joy City ( Photo Credit: kuaibao.qq.com)

Chaoyang Joy City 朝阳大悦城
Chaoyang Joy City is an urban complex building has a large shopping center of 230,000 square meters. The shopping center has 11 floors on the ground and 3 floors underground. It integrates six major themes including shopping, catering, entertainment, culture, fitness and leisure.

Add:101 North Chaoyang Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing
Tel: 010-85579871
Subway: take subway line 6 and get off at Qingnian Road Station

Top 9: Beijing SKP ( 北京SKP)

If you are a high-roller with over numerous international brands. They also boast the largest Gucci flagship store in Asia. There are also some good restaurants in the mall.

You will see the higher-end as well as a number of mid-range labels that carry the basics, seeing the season’s latest first hand (Marni, Anna Sui…). There is a good florist in the basement near the bread shops.

Beijing SKP (Photo Credit: kuaibao.qq.com)

Add: No.97, Jianguo Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100025
Tel: +86 10 6530 5888
Web: http://www.skp-beijing.com/
Opening Hours:
Mon – Sun: 10:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m.
Subway: Take subway Line 1, get off at the station of Dawanglu (大望路), exit from Exit A; take Line 14 and get off at Dawang Road Station Exit F.

Top 10 : Jinyuan Shidai Shopping Center 金源时代购物中心

The mall has a nickname of “Great Mall of China”, mainly due to its total area of 6 million square feet with six floors, 1.5 times the size of the Mall of America, the largest shopping mall in Beijing and Asia as well.

Jinyuan Shidai Shopping Center (Photo from internet)

The center has 230 escalators, over 1,000 shops, restaurant space the size of two football fields, and a skating rink…. This mall is designed to create a stable, happy, middle-income consumer class.

Add: 1 Yuanda Road, Haidian District, Beijing
Tel: 010-88875888
Opening hours: 10 a.m.-9 p.m.
Subway: take subway line 10, get off at the station of Changchun Qiao (长春桥) ,exit from Exit Northwest, then walk to the west along Changchun Qiao Road (长春桥路)and Yuanda Road (远大路), you will see the mall on your right hand.

Tip: Hassle-free Beijing Guided Tours

If you don’t want to go the do-it-yourself route and prefer the hassle-free escorted tours,  here are some options for Beijing guided tours:

Car Rental in Beijing
Beijing Day Tour
Beijing Tour Packages
Beijing Winter Tour
Great Wall Tour
Beijing Tours
China City Tours
China Tour

Further Readings


Best Time to Visit Beijing
How to plan a trip to Beijing

Top 10 Attractions in Beijing
How to Visit Forbidden City
How to Visit Temple of Heaven
How to Visit Summer Palace
How to Visit Ming Tombs
How to Visit the Great Wall of China
How to Visit Tiananmen Square
How to Visit Hutongs
How to Visit Olympic Sites

Top 10 Markets in Beijing
Top 10 Shopping Malls in Beijing
Beijing Shopping

Wangfujing Night Snack Street
Qianmen Commercial Street
Beijing Huguosi Street

Any questions, just drop a line.