Within China, Beijing is definitely the best place for shopping- the best (and cheapest) clothes; arts and crafts and antiques are to be found in one of the five main shopping districts. They are Wangfujing, Xidan, Dongdan, Qianmen and Liulichang. With some searching you can find good carpets, jade, art materials, kites, lacquerware and other handicrafts. You can also find antiques, but these are often fakes (and that too so well faked that even experts have a hard time distinguishing them from the real thing). For souvenirs, the good hunting grounds in Beijing include Liulichnag, the Arts & Crafts Store in Wangfujing, the Friendship Store in Jianguomen Dajie, (this is an exceptionally good store for all sorts of souvenirs), the Silk Market and the Shisa Hu Antique Market. Except in department stores, bargaining is very much the norm all over Beijing. For the serious antique hunter, Tianjin is the place. However, no piece dated beyond 1949 can be taken out of the country, without a seal and export certificate.

Plush new shopping malls are the latest addition to the shopper’s list in Beijing. All shops are open from 8.30am to 8pm; the malls may close as late as 9pm. The prices are cheaper in the markets but the quality may be suspect.