Xiu Shui Street It is several hundred meters long and mainly deals in silks and satins, clothing, footwear, headgear, etc. It is also known as the
Leading Foreign Trade Market. The street lies at the southeastern corner of the diplomatic quarter in Beijing's Chaoyang District and has many
hotels and offices of foreign-funded enterprises.
The stall owners come from all parts of China; most of the goods are silk products, woollen and
down clothes made in Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces designed for export. Because of the
negotiable prices, large varieties of goods, and export-oriented sizes and designs, this street has
become a shopping Mecca for foreign visitors in Beijing.
Xiu Shui Street used to be a wholesale market where businessmen from Eastern European
countries purchased clothes, and all business was conducted in English and Russian. Today, the
street is a tourist spot where people speaking many languages go shopping, both wholesale and
retail.
Xiu Shui Market reopened for business in its shiny new 5 storey shopping mall on March 2005, replacing the infamous original outdoor Xiu Shui
Street which was located nearby. In doing so, it has become the inner city's one stop tourist shopping paradise. It's name is now written in Englis
h across the entrance as simply "Silk Street".
Apart from the almost real-looking designer wear which was present at the old street, you can now
enjoy shopping for a wealth of traditional Chinese knick knacks to bring home for your family. If you
don't have too much time for shopping in Beijing, this could be the only place you need to visit.
Items which you can find in this market include: Shoes, Jeans, Trousers, Jackets, Shirts, Chinese
Souvenirs, Chinese Rugs/Carpets, Golf Equipment, Pearls, Watches, Sunglasses, Silk by the roll,
Chinese Paintings, Small Electronics and many other things. It also has a small supermarket in
the basement. Prices are generally very reasonable here compared to your home country.
Bargaining is still essential when you venture out here in order to get the best prices. If you are a
skilled bargainer, you might be able to get things ridiculously cheap. And if you want to buy something, you should check with more than one store
and haggle over the price.
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