Wangfujing Street, Beijing

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En Wangfunjing se pueden encontrar comidas exóticas y en algún momento más parece que se está viendo una colección de insectos en un museo de ciencias que unos pinchitos listos para asar y comer

In Wangfunjing you may find exotic meals and at some point it appears that is like being watching an insects collection in a science museum instead of beeing lookink some kebabs ready for roasting and eating

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Wangfujing street is said to have received its name in the Ming Dynasty more than 500 years ago. Nowadays, the street is one of the busy shopping areas in Beijing. Wangfujing has in recent years opened many new modern fashion boutiques, the Foreign Languange bookstore, the Muslim Commercial Building, the Huaxia arts and craft store, and a fine arts shop. There are more than 170 shops on this one kilometre-long street.

What to buy: Wangfujing foreign bookstore, the biggest bookstore in Beijing.
Fashion apparels, shoes, kids toys, Chinese handycraft, etc.
at 6pm, there have many foodstalls at Dongshi

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What to buy: high quality hand-made silk rugs and tapestries

Guess it's inevitable. You have to get here somehow. Even if you have zero dollars and have nothing to buy, you'll take a glance at least once.

The shopping artery of Beijing, rivalling Xidan to the west of the city. Wang Fu Jing Street [王府井大街] is off-limits to cars and other motor vehicles (aside from the blue-coloured tour trolley). Come here and see modern boutiques and shopping malls, sip coffee in Starbucks and star-gaze at branded goods.

The street was named during the Qing Dynasty, when a well full of sweet water was discovered. As there were eight aristocratic estates and princess residences in the area, soon after, the street received its name: "Wang Fu" (=aristocratic residence), "Jing" (=well).

The landmark Beijing Hotel (looking remarkably Socialist) marked the start of the street from the south which is about where you will get out after exiting Wang Fu Jing subway station. At the north end, turning left, will connect you to Dong Hua Men Night Market.

Old and new buildings tried their best to squeeze the life out of each other along the street, with side alleys branching off, loaded with the fruits of restaurants. One of the main side branches will lead you to the Wang Fu Jing Street of Snacks.

What to buy: Anything money can buy you.

What to pay: How deep is your pocket?

Wangfujing has been recently refurbished and it's now a prestigious and popular shopping haunt of both locals and foreigners. There are heaps of big name stores here as well as a huge foreign languages book store at number 235. The street is open late and it's fantastic to wander down the street after dark looking at the pretty lights!

It's extremely easy to get here, you can walk, catch a bus, taxi or the subway. It's very central and you'll find yourself back here again and again.

What to pay: The prices here are a little bit more expensive than the markets but you will be able to find anything and everything in a convenient location.

There are dozens of local shops in an alley directly north of Wanfujing. (Behind the store with the huge video screen.) Silk, Coisseme (spelling?), pottery...lots of typical Chinese crafts. GREAT deals if you know how to bargain. (Pay up to 1/5th of asking price.)

What to buy: Silk, art, pottery. Also, this area appeared to have very good looking street food. It appeared more safe to eat than other less frequented Beijing street vending areas.

What to pay: 20% of what they ask. Very cheap deals are available. For example, I bought 5 nice Coisomme pens for 25 quai.

Rui Fu Xiang started in 1893. It is original store was located in Qian Men traditional neibhorhood, however, recently, the entire neighborhood is under renovation thus all traditional stores would be either relocated or simply disappear.

Fortunately, while you will not see its traditional house in Qian Men, it has a branch on the most famous shopping street: Wang Fu Jing street.

Business hours: 9:00-21:00

What to buy: Silk fabric and silk appearal and other products (more traditional style than contemporary ones).

In addition, they will make you traditional silk outfit on site as well. Price varies depends upon materials, styles - fancy ones with sophisticated embroderies are very labor consuming: Chinese labor is no longer the cheapest in the world, especially not from the stores on this street.

What to pay: Price varies. The price is not the cheapest (as VT Confucius said, prices of silk in Suzhou could be cheaper: always cheaper at the producing places), but very reasonable. E.g., price for a great selection (in terms of pattern, texture, thickness, colors etc) of silk fabrics (great quality) is around $10/m (or less so per yard for those who knows nothing about metric system), same thing could easily cost 3 if not 4 times that much in USA.

Ready made silk clothes are NOT cheap. But there are so many other stores on the street,(and in Beijing) for a cheaper price.

Finally, our last day in China; we went shopping in Wang Fu Jin, a popular shopping areas with all kind of local and foreign brands. The shopping malls were so modern and HUGE and even the streets looked so clean. I think the govt really meant business when they announced to clean up the streets for the Olympic 2008!

What to buy: Everything....clothing, accessories, bags, cosmetic, toys, stationary, electrical & electonics, food, drinks, books, and the list goes on and on....

What to pay: Depending how much you have in your wallet!!!