Must see shopping in Beijing

An avenue of art shops, antiques and booksellers since the Qing dynasty, leafy Liulichang is a tourist favourite that's worth delving into for its…

Buying new spectacles probably isn't high up on your Beijing bucket list, but when you can get your eyes tested and lenses cut in about 40 minutes (for…

They used to say that a truly dignified person would only wear shoes made by Neiliansheng, silk made by Ruifuxiang and hats made by Sheng Xi Fu. First…

Set up for wholesalers, Maliandao is a nondescript commercial district home to if not all the tea in China, then an awful lot of it. For leaf-hunters…

Peddling pills and potions here since 1702, this traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) shop became a royal dispensary during the Qing dynasty. Today the…

So named for its yesteryear trade in pipes and the demon weed (that's tobacco, not opium), 'Tobacco Pouch Lane' is a short, crooked alley of touristy…

This department store of traditional arts specialises in wénfáng sì bǎo (文房四宝), the 'four treasures of study', namely brushes, ink, paper and inkstones…

Arts-and-crafts fans will get a kick out of this shop selling traditional clay figurines. Shelves are lined with 'rabbit gods' (兔儿爷; tùéryé), a folk…

English-speaking sales staff are adept at parting tourists from their cash in exchange for high-grade teas from around China, sold loose by the liǎng (50g…

A good place to stock your suitcase with China's finest if staying in the Gulou area, this tea shop is run by a couple from Fujian, China's tea heartland…

One of China's largest state-run shu cheng, or 'book cities', this hulk of a bookstore is spread over four vast floors in a purpose-built building, and is…

The Place is an open-air retail zone canopied by an enormous, upturned video screen, which shelters the usual array of fast fashion, coffee outlets and…

With three shops grouped together in this location, Sanfo is the place to come for high-quality outdoor wear, climbing and camping gear, as well as…

A throwback to a bygone era, this crusty old department store keeps elderly Xicheng residents in padded winter clothing, traditional Beijing-branded…

Browse rails of Asian street fashion at this mall of mini independent boutiques spread over several floors. As well as mostly womenswear and accessories,…

This Aladdin's cave of traditional Chinese medicine sells acupuncture needles, mugwort for moxibustion, professional Chinese massage gear (including the…

From Cui Jian to Carsick Cars, this pocket-sized record store has a selection of seminal Chinese rock-and-roll, even though most of the stock is…

A touristy branch of the 150-year-old Ruifuxiang Silk store, where you can buy scarves, shawls, slippers, hats and Chinese-style clothing. Prices, which…

One of a handful of hip stores along Wudaoying Hutong specialising in Chinese vintage homewares, together with secondhand apparel and handbags, sourced…

Taiwanese bicycle brand Giant stocks a decent range of bikes starting at around ¥1000, as well as accessories like helmets, locks and baby seats.