The best places to shop for gifts, art, clothes and more...
1. Grifted
The original name of this eclectic souvenir shop was Gifted – until the boss had the business cards made up locally and they all came back with a typo. "It was perfect, much more edgy and a great example of what it's like to live and work in Beijing," says PP, the shop's owner. Selling a range of unique products - from printed umbrellas, lanterns and kitschy postcards to soft "Socialist dolls" that include everyone from Mao to Marx - handmade by local craftsmen and women, Grifted is now one of the most socially responsible shops in Beijing. You'd be hard pushed to find a more irreverent gift for folks back home.
· 32 Nanluoguxiang Hutong, Dongcheng District; +86 10 8404 4809; www.grifted.com.cn. Open 2pm-10pm daily
2. Panjiayuan Market
A riot of noise and colour, the so-called "dirt market" is one of Beijing's must-visit sights. It's also a great place to pick up all manner of things, from old photographs and bronze Buddhas to People's Liberation Army (PLA) rucksacks and Cultural Revolution posters. Row upon row of partially covered stalls and an outdoor area filled with antique peddlers from the countryside all jostle for space and attention. Head inside the building on the market's west side for the pick of the city's Mao memorabilia.
· Panjiayuan Qiao Nan, Chongwen District; +86 10 6775 2405. Open 8.30am-6pm Mon-Fri; 4.30am-6.30pm Sat and Sun
3. Bannerman Tang's Toys and Handicrafts
When put in context, this traditional toyshop's contents are truly astonishing. Run by fifth generation crafts master Tang Yujie – a man whose family first started making toys in the late 1630s – Bannerman Tang produces rare folk arts using techniques that haven't changed in centuries. Recognised by the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture as an important showcase for Chinese heritage, the shop's most popular crafts include laohu (colourful stuffed tigers) Bulaohu, embroidered children's shoes, and Qing dynasty "hairy monkeys". Unbelievably, the tiny primates are made of cicada skin and magnolia buds.
· 38 Guozijian Dajie, Dongcheng District; +86 10 8404 7179. Open 9am-7pm daily
4. Spin
Designed by a talented group of Shanghainese ceramicists and forged in Jingdezhen – the home of Chinese pottery since 308AD – Spin's creations are delightfully modern yet grounded in tradition. Uncannily smooth plates have interesting chunks cut out of them and vases are satisfyingly big and bulbous. Teacups slump and lean, or are made of a clay that allows the light to shine through, and elongated platters beg to be lined with hors d'oeuvres. However the best thing about Spin are the prices – most items are under £20, and they're all gift wrapped in sturdy balsawood boxes.
· 6 Fangyuan Xi Lu, Chaoyang District; +86 10 6437 8649. Open 11am-9pm daily
5. Plastered
This tongue-in-cheek T-shirt shop is one of Beijing's big success stories. Perhaps it takes an outsider to see the city with an ironic eye, but British expat Dominic Johnson-Hill does a particularly good job of capturing the essence of life in Beijing. T-shirts depict some of the city's quirkier attributes – the friendly cartoon policemen who warn locals not to drink and drive, or the now defunct paper subway tickets. Another shows three Cultural Revolution poster women performing various tasks capably with the Chinese slogan "Women can be heroes".
· 61 Nanluoguxiang Hutong, Dongcheng District; +86 134 8884 8855; www.plasteredtshirts.com. Open Mon-Fri 1pm-10pm, Sat-Sun 10am-10pm
6. Shard Box
Local designer Hu Songlin's shop near the Temple of the Sun looks unremarkable from the outside, but its contents are totally unique. As well as being a second-generation jewellery maker, Hu's speciality is to take shards of antique porcelain smashed during the Cultural Revolution and incorporate them into trinket boxes. As a result, the lid of almost every box depicts an elaborate flower or classical scene. Likewise, a number of the rings, earrings and pendants on sale here are historically relevant too, in some cases made from jade or silver dating back to 1900.
· 1 Ritan Bei Lu, Chaoyang District; +86 10 8561 3712. Open 9am-7pm daily. 4A Hairun International Apartment, Jiangtai Lu, Chaoyang district; +86 10 5135 7638. Open 9am-7pm daily
7. Flame Tree
If it's jewellery with a modern twist you're after while in Beijing, few places have a more extensive selection than Flame Tree. With every corner of this tiny shop crammed with bijoux handmade by Lisa Tian and her team, as well as reproductions of traditional Chinese furniture, something always catches the eye. The oversized rings and silver necklaces resembling those worn by women in Guizhou Province are particularly cool, while the painted lotus dressing screens and Qing-dynasty-style wooden cabinets make a refreshing change from the usual tourist tat.
· 7 Gongti Bei Lu, Chaoyang District; +86 10 6413 0828. Open 10.30am-10.30pm daily
8. Three Stones Kite Store
Kite flying has been a popular hobby in the capital since Imperial times – something the family running the Three Stones Kite Store knows all about. For just over a century, the Lius have been making top-quality kites for the people of Beijing, including Qing dynasty Emperor Puyi. Made from silk and bamboo, their stunning, hand-painted designs range from long-tailed fish to dragonflies, birds and butterflies. Incredibly, prices range from as little as £10 all the way up to £750.
· 29 Dianmen Xi Dajie, Xicheng District; +86 10 8404 4505; www.cnkites.com. Open 8.30am-10.30pm daily
9. Artopal
Chinese contemporary artists are hot property right now, and this shop in Beijing's trendy 798 art district is perfectly placed to capitalise on the fact. Wallets, ties, badges, mugs and notebooks are all emblazoned with works by the country's most celebrated modern painters. Zhang Xiaogang's haunting grey family portraits and Yue Minjun's broad smiley faces lend the products a striking quality, while Liu Ye's composed Chinese women make for a stylish pack of greetings cards.
· 4 Jiuxianqiao Lu, Dashanzi 798 Art District, Chaoyang district (opposite At Café); +86 10 8459 9335; www.artopal.in. Open 10am-7pm Tue-Sun
10. Five Colours Earth
An air of exclusivity surrounds this clothes shop located in an apartment building in Beijing's Central Business District (CBD), but owner Pan Xi and her designs couldn't be more down to earth. Her simple garments (mostly made from silk, cashmere and linen) are more interesting than most because each incorporates a sample of intricately hand-stitched embroidery from China's South Western Miao minority people. Whether a suit, shirt, shawl or dress, the ethnic embroidery lends each garment a shock of pastel colour and ensures every piece you buy has its own unique twist. A tailoring service is also available.
· Room 1505, Fifteenth Floor, Building 5 Jianwai SOHO, 39 Dongsanhuan Zhong Lu, Chaoyang District; +86 10 5869 2923; www.fivecoloursearth.com. Open 9am-6pm (Mon-Sat)
· Sarah Keenlyside is the founder of travel consultancy Bespoke Beijing.
- Submitted by
TravellingPea on 03/24/09
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