Forget Silk Market for your Chinese tat and clothes. It's crowded and vendors are very pushy.
Go down the road instead. It's the same stuff, including great tailors, just as big but less crowded and therefore more fun.

Remember to haggle!

Yashow Market, 58 Gongti Beilu, Chaoyang District

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If you want something cool to wear or to take back home this shop really stole my heart, they take iconic and retro images from around Beijing and take classics like the "I Climbed The Great Wall" t shirt and add a fun twist.

They also have retro mugs and posters. Worth popping in anyway, as it's on nan luo gu xiang which is a really fun place to walk around and see all the old hu tongs. There's a great Korean restaurant nearby too.

www.plasteredtshirts.com

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Watch out for friendly young female art students wanting to take you to nearby exhibitions of their work. To the unsuspecting, they appear to be genuine local Chinese who are amazed to see a Westerner. After flattering you by asking lots of questions about your country, they invite you to view their art work. While much of it is undoubtedly stunning, make no mistake; they're really trying to sell you some silk scrolls adorned with traditional Oriental calligraphy.

Tiananmen Square, Wanfujing Street

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This is a modern hotel with excellent facilities and tasteful décor. It represents fantastic value for money if booked online (double rooms can be had for as little as £35 per room including breakfast). It is situated in a southern suburb of the city that has interesting bars, restaurants, market stalls and shops frequented by the locals. Some real bargains can be found here. The only drawback is the distance from the centre of Beijing and the fact that taxi drivers don’t know where it is – be sure to pick up the hotel’s card at reception with detailed directions. It is, however, ideal for visiting the nearby Temple of Heaven Park.

Address: TEMPLE OF HEAVEN BEIJING 1 DING AN DONG LI FENGTAI BEIJING, 100075 Tel: +86-10-67626688 Email: rsvn.hithbj@ichotelsgroup.com www.ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/6c/1/en/hd/pegth

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When it comes to shopping, tourists usually head for the silk market in Yonganli and Yaxiu in Sanlitun, but if you want to see where young Beijingers like to spend their yuan, try the Huawei centre in Xidan, which has a mix of traditional and modern stores.

No 130, Xidanbei Dajie, Xicheng District

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