Joanna James
Local markets of Beijing are chock full of native flavour and culture as well as exciting goodies to buy, eat and experience. Prepare to enjoy these vibrant precincts offering the best shopping vibes.
This is one of Beijing's busiest streets; there you can browse the popular market well noted for its selection of stalls selling local snacks. Indulge the foodie in you with delicious mouthfuls of glutinous rice balls, sweetened and baked wheaten cakes and rice rolls with sweet bean flour. The pedestrianized district is lined with street vendors who are not shy to cry out for customers to taste their wares. As the sun sets Wangfujing Street comes alive with many locals and tourists browsing the area for dinner and tasty snacks. If you are up for an adventure, try venturing away from the traditional snacks and test your taste buds on the likes of fried scorpion, seahorse and starfish that despite looking rather dreadful are said to be quite tasty. The market is open from 10 am to 10 pm and is easy to reach from your well-located service apartment in Beijing.
Shopaholics should definitely check out this super shopping arena. Just about 30 minutes from Ascott Riverside Garden Beijing and other city hotels; the precinct is home to shopping malls, restaurants, food stalls and an impressive cultural centre, open for shopping, dining and sightseeing. Lauded as a retail paradise for younger shoppers, the place is extremely popular drawing large crowds of locals and foreigners. Besides, the place is not strictly limited to shopping, there you can browse the museums, visit the cultural centres, check out the Beijing Concert Hall as well as, the very interesting Cultural Palace of Nationalities. The precinct is open from 9 am to 9 pm.
Originally this popular street was just an alley, however, with the government's intervention, it has transformed into a cosmopolitan hub that is a seven story shopping complex. There you can shop for clothes, silk fabrics, accessories and a range of Chinese handicrafts such as paintings, antiques and calligraphy. The place is a popular haunt for tourists looking out for authentic Chinese antiques; the place was even visited by likes of prominent figures such as George Bush senior. Silk Street Market is open from 12 noon to midnight.
Culture buffs are treated to the best in Chinese culture at this market. There, one can shop for a range of delicate Chinese artefacts such as calligraphy, teapots, jade and vintage Buddhist statues. On the weekends you get sellers from outside provinces bringing some truly unique antiques, which cause the market to get quite crowded. All products are open for negotiations, make sure you know your antiques and if the price is right, you just may walk out with a unique find. This market is open from 8.30 am to 6 pm.
If quirky is your thing then do head over to this market. Home to vendors selling unusual pets, and or rather odd animals the market is ideal if you are in the mood to buy lizards, spiders and snakes. On weekends a huge variety of colourful birds are brought in for sale here while many locals gather at this point in order to join the impromptu 'pet owners conferences' that take place amongst owners of various breeds of animals. All in all, it's a pretty cool market to explore for a taste of the exotic.
A true believer that the pen is a mighty weapon, ventures into reaching the minds of every reader with the earnest hope of leaving an indelible stream of thought.
A travel writer who has a passion for fashion and a deep interest in admiring new and exotic attractions around the world.
