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in Beijing
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3.3 Mall
33 San Li Tun Lu
Beijing
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Markets & Neighborhoods
Trendy mall packed with local designer boutiques and expert tailors for whatever suits you.
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Beijing Kerry Centre
1 Guang Hua Lu
Beijing
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Markets & Neighborhoods
Posh CBD shopping center popular with business types for its slew of high-end tailors.
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China World Mall
1 Jian Guo Men Wai Da Jie
Beijing
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Markets & Neighborhoods
Chichi shopping center chock-a-block with haute couture designers.
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Dashanzi Art District
2 Jiu Xian Qiao Lu
Beijing
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Markets & Neighborhoods
Industrial-chic contemporary art district packed with hip galleries and boutiques.
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Hong Qiao Pearl Market
46 Tian Tan Dong Lu
Beijing
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Markets & Neighborhoods
Sprawling five-story market specializing in pearls and other jewelry.
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Jianhua Leather and Fur
192 Wang Fu Jing Da Jie
Beijing
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Boutiques & Design Shops
Historic leather and fur shop in the bustling Wangfujing shopping district.
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Lai Tai Flower Market
9 Mai Zi Dian Xi Jie
Beijing
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Markets & Neighborhoods
Bustling flower and homewares market offering everything from orchids to ceramics.
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Nali Patio
81 San Li Tun Lu
Beijing
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Markets & Neighborhoods
Mediterranean-style mall packed with cool local boutiques and international brands.
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Nan Luo Gu Xiang
Nan Luo Gu Xiang
Beijing
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Markets & Neighborhoods
Restored hutong alleyway packed with boho-chic boutiques, galleries, and cafés.
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Oriental Plaza
1 Dong Chang An Da Jie
Beijing
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Markets & Neighborhoods
Sprawling ultra-posh mall flush with international fashion powerhouses and Chinese luxury brands.
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Panjiayuan (Dirt Market)
Southeast Third Ring Rd.
Beijing
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Markets & Neighborhoods
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Eclectic weekend flea market offering everything from Ming vases to Mao memorabilia.
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Sanlitun
San Li Tun Lu
Beijing
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Markets & Neighborhoods
This expat-fave of a neighborhood is packed with glitzy malls and offbeat local boutiques.
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Seasons Place
2 Jin Cheng Fang Jie
Beijing
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Markets & Neighborhoods
Glitzy Financial Street shopping mall catering to the city’s biggest spenders.
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Shard Box
1 Ri Tan Bei Rd.
Beijing
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Boutiques & Design Shops
Jeweler specializing in earrings and boxes crafted from fragments of imperial ceramics.
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Shin Kong Mitsukoshi
87 Jian Guo Lu
Beijing
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Department Stores
Chic Taiwanese department store and retail complex full of luxury brands.
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Silk Market
8 Xiu Shui Jie
Beijing
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Markets & Neighborhoods
Aggressive vendors abound at this boisterous and touristy counterfeit fashion market.
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The Bookworm
Building 4, Nan San Li Tun Lu
Beijing
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Boutiques & Design Shops
Sunny English-language lending library and bookshop popular with the expat crowd.
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The Village at Sanlitun
19 San Li Tun Lu
Beijing
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Markets & Neighborhoods
Funky high-end shopping complex popular with expats.
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Wangfujing
Wang Fu Jing Da Jie
Beijing
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Markets & Neighborhoods
Historical pedestrian way loaded with designer boutiques and then some.
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Xiao Fei Tailor Shop
Xin Yuan Li Compound, Building 35, Nos. 1-103, Xin Yuan Jie
Beijing
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Boutiques & Design Shops
Skilled tailor Xiao Fei whips up reasonably priced copies of designer fashions.
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Yaxiu Market
58 Gong Ti Bei Lu
Beijing
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Markets & Neighborhoods
Popular clothing market known for its speedy tailors and knockoff fashions.
It may seem strange that the modern shopping culture of Beijing was shaped in part by the complex moral teachings of a philosopher from 500 BCE. But such is the case with the peculiar link between Confucius, who disdained commerce, and the Chinese knack for knockoffs. Unlike typical Western notions of intellectual property, Confucian philosophy–foundational to Chinese society–regards imitation as an honor of the highest order and creativity as a collective effort. Somewhere in there is a direct line to the proliferation of fake Gucci bags and poorly dubbed DVDs on the streets of Beijing, or so the scholars say.
Today, Beijing is no longer simply a counterfeit mecca (though any knockoff label you want can still be had)...and you'll more likely find Beijingers at shrines of conspicuous consumption than shrines to Confucius. In gleaming, marbled mega malls scattered throughout the city such as Seasons Place and Shin Kong Mitsukoshi, you'll find boutiques from (real) powerhouse labels such as Prada, Hermès, and Louis Vuitton (in some cases, like at Oriental Plaza, one of the largest malls in Asia, literally miles of them!). Score sportier wares from brands like Adidas and Levi's in the playfully upscale district The Village at Sanlitun. If you're looking for hip Asian labels, head to the mod 3.3 Mall. Many of these high-end shopping hubs sprang up as a part of Beijing's facelift for the 2008 Summer Olympics–now that's what we call going for the gold.
Even as Beijing's shopping landscape zooms into the future, it hasn't forgotten to tip its hat to the past (Confucius, who prized the past as the wellspring of society's values, would be proud). Hipster 'hoods like Nan Luo Gu Xiang have taken up residence in the city's fast-disappearing hutongs (traditional courtyard neighborhoods), melding ancient architecture with a contemporary vibe. And, the faded Cultural Revolution slogans on the buildings of the Dashanzi Art District (a clutch of galleries housed in a former electronics factory) are another instance of the Communist past getting a shout-out (and a re-purposing) from arty progressives.
You might also want to dig up some historical dirt at Panjiayuan (Dirt Market), where you can sift among relics spanning the provinces and the ages for an antique Ming vase or charming armoire. These kinds of less-polished markets may have loads of counterfeit items, but they have their redeeming qualities too. At Yaxiu Market, don't be distracted by pushy knockoff vendors–an assortment of skilled tailors stands ready to sew stylish and speedy (turnaround time is typically 24 hours) suits from the fabric of your choice. Skip the stalls of handbags and electronics and head straight to the jewelry section on the top floor of Hong Qiao Pearl Market, where the bespoke necklaces made from Fanghua's gorgeous South Sea pearls are some of our favorite finds in Beijing. Not that we don't equally prize Confucian pearls of wisdom, of course.
Photo of 3.3 Mall courtesy of frankartculinary on Flickr