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Asia China Beijing Shopping Qianmen Street

Overview

Qianmen Street

The guide was updated: 2025-11-18

Qianmen Street is one of the oldest and most well-known shopping streets in Beijing. It stretches about 840 metres along Beijing’s historic central axis, just south of Tiananmen Square and heading towards the old city gates. The pedestrianised boulevard pairs Qing-style façades and carved archways with modern shops and restaurants, creating a mix of old Beijing charm and contemporary retail. On one end you’ll find long-established shops selling fine teas, silks and Chinese medicines; venture further and you’ll hit familiar international brands, cafés and snack stalls.

Useful Information

Address: Qianmen, Dongcheng District, Beijing

Our travel guides are free to read and explore online. If you want to get your own copy, the full travel guide for this destination is available to you offline* to bring along anywhere or print for your trip.

*this will be downloaded as a PDF.

Price

€4,95

Purchase

Oriental Plaza

Oriental Plaza

Oriental Plaza is a massive complex combining retail, offices, serviced apartments, and a hotel, but the shopping area is the main draw for visitors. Shops are arranged in themed zones, offering a mix of international and local brands, along with cafés and restaurants. A central feature is the colourful musical fountain, and the mall also includes a cinema and other attractions family-friendly attractions.

China World Mall

China World Mall

China World Mall in Beijing’s Chaoyang District is a modern, multi-level shopping complex that brings together both luxury and mid-range brands. You’ll find international designers such as Dior and Gucci, alongside home décor stores, electronics shops, and more affordable fashion outlets. The mall also has a cinema, an ice rink, and a range of cafés and restaurants.

Ten Fu’s Tea

Ten Fu’s Tea

Ten Fu’s Tea is a well-known chain stocking a wide range of high-quality Chinese teas from across the country. Stores carry green, oolong, black, and scented teas, along with teapots, accessories, and gift sets, perfect place if you want to bring home a piece of traditional tea culture.

Hongqiao Market

Hongqiao Market

Hongqiao Market, often called the Pearl Market, is one of Beijing’s most visited indoor markets and a handy stop if you’re after jewellery or general bargains. The upper floors are packed with pearl vendors, especially freshwater pearls, and it’s worth taking a lap before committing, as quality and prices vary noticeably from stall to stall. Lower levels mix electronics, clothing and assorted souvenirs. If you’re looking to pick up jewellery, it helps to compare shops and examine pieces closely; some vendors will customise items on the spot.

Qianmen Street

Qianmen Street

Qianmen Street is one of the oldest and most well-known shopping streets in Beijing. It stretches about 840 metres along Beijing’s historic central axis, just south of Tiananmen Square and heading towards the old city gates. The pedestrianised boulevard pairs Qing-style façades and carved archways with modern shops and restaurants, creating a mix of old Beijing charm and contemporary retail. On one end you’ll find long-established shops selling fine teas, silks and Chinese medicines; venture further and you’ll hit familiar international brands, cafés and snack stalls.

Liulichang Street

Liulichang Street

Liulichang Street is a compact, pedestrian thoroughfare in central Beijing that’s long been associated with scholars, artists, and calligraphers. Here you’ll find shops specialising in the 'four treasures' of the Chinese scholar: brushes, ink sticks, paper, and ink stones. There are also galleries selling scrolls, paintings, seals, and other cultural curios.

Wangfujing Avenue

Wangfujing Avenue

Wangfujing Street in the Dongcheng District is one of Beijing’s best-known shopping avenues, with a commercial history stretching back to the Ming Dynasty. The pedestrian area runs for around 1.8 km and features large modern malls as well as older “time-honoured” shops selling teas, silk fabrics, and traditional goods. Just off the main street, you’ll find the well-known snack alleys, where scorpion skewers and other unusual items are sold largely for the spectacle.

Joy City

Joy City

Xidan Joy City is the main modern mall in the Xidan commercial district, drawing a younger, fashion-focused crowd. Spread over more than ten floors, it houses international brands with a good selection of contemporary Chinese labels, along with electronics shops, cafés, and a large food court, plus a handful of entertainment spaces, including a Ferris wheel.

Taikoo Li Sanlitun

Taikoo Li Sanlitun

Taikoo Li Sanlitun, formerly known as Sanlitun Village, is a trendy, open-air shopping and lifestyle district in Beijing’s Chaoyang District. The complex consists of 19 low-rise buildings arranged across two main areas: the Piazza in the south and the Deck in the north. Its modern architecture is impressive, with irregular shapes, contrasting colours, and open courtyards that give the district a distinctive, contemporary feel. Taikoo Li is home to international fashion labels, concept stores, cafés, and restaurants.

Yandaixie Street

Yandaixie Street

Yandaixie Street is a charming, narrow hutong in the Shichahai–Houhai area of central Beijing. Its name refers to the 'smoking‑pipe slanted alley', reflecting its Qing Dynasty origins when shops sold tobacco pipes and the shape of the alley resembled a pipe. Today, the street is lined with traditional grey‑brick buildings, small craft shops selling embroidered shoes, Chinese paintings, and local snacks, as well as cafés and bars.

Beijing Antique City

Beijing Antique City

Beijing Antique City is one of Asia’s largest indoor markets for antique art and crafts. Housed in a four‑storey building just west of Huawei Bridge, it is home to more than 600 dealers displaying a wide range of wares: classic furniture, ancient clocks, textiles and rugs, ceramics, Tibetan relics, carved ivory and bronze, calligraphy and paintings, and much more.

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