Opening hours

Most shops and markets are open from around 9am daily and do not close until around 9pm, or later.

Haggling

The Chinese haggle even in shops with fixed prices, and it pays for you to do the same. Haggling at markets is essential as traders will start by quoting you a price that can be 10 times or more beyond what is fair. Your first offer must always be a fraction of what they ask. For example, a trader who starts by demanding ¥150 for a jacket at the Silk Market will probably be prepared to let it go for as little as ¥20; offer ¥10 and then walk away, and listen as the price plummets.

Credit cards

Credit cards are only accepted at branches of international stores and at luxury boutiques, and department stores. Always check just which cards are accepted and carry enough cash to cover you in case your plastic is rejected.

Fakes

Beijing is awash with fakes, from counterfeit Rolex watches to copies of North Face jackets. Some of these are extremely well done, with counterfeiters even going so far to replicate the internal workings of watches. Of course, it is all illegal, and importing these goods may get you in trouble when re-entering your country

Bargains

Counterfeit goods aside, there are few real bargains to be had in Beijing. No matter how good your haggling skills, no market trader ever sells at a loss, or even at anything like cost price. The antiques are anything but old, and even the Mao memorabilia is made specifically for the tourist trade. The simple rule is, buy something because you like it, not because you have been told that it is worth a great deal.

DVDs and CDs

With the price of a DVD (¥10–¥15) a fraction of the price of a cinema ticket, it is not surprising to see many more DVD stores than cinemas. Beijing is awash with pirate DVDs and CDs, sold openly from specialist stores. Movies appear on disc even before they’ve been premiered. Some of the less recent releases are highly professional, with all the added extras. However, some disks just won’t play at all, or they might feature incomprehensible English subtitles. It’s a bit of a gamble, and you can never be sure that the film you’ve just bought really contains what is advertised on the cover.

Tailoring

If you have the time and the inclination, one of the most satisfying shopping experiences is to buy some cloth and have a local tailor make up clothes to your own design or specifications. Present them with an example and they can make exact copies of your favorite shirts or trousers. They can even work from pictures in a magazine. Yashaw Market in Sanlitun has the greatest number of tailors, plus plenty of stalls selling cloth.

Refunds

Make sure that you really want what you’re buying: there is no such thing as a refund in China.

Shopping areas

Beijing’s main shopping thoroughfare is Wangfujing Dajie. Other good places to shop include the Dazhalan and Liulichang areas south of Tian’an Men Square, Xidan, the Guomao area, and Sanlitun.

Electronics

Don’t mix up Beijing with Hong Kong: there are no bargain electronics here. Most hardware is imported and so costs significantly more than in your home country. You can get cheap Chinese-made equivalents, but these are unreliable and there is no warranty.