Blue Heart Journey: Yashow and Silk Market in Beijing

Beijing may be notorious for its renowned tourist attractions, but it is also known for its abundant shopping markets. One of my Chinese friends in Hanoi advised me of a few of the more popular markets to make some purchases. There were so many places to shop, just as there was in Korea. I researched at least six markets in the city, but we only made it to two of them since we were just visiting for four days and did not want our entire trip to revolve around the purchase of purely material items. Douglas and I went to Yashow Market and Silk Market.

Both markets carry some of everything. They have clothes, shoes, belts, handbags, toys, jewelry, tablecloths, traditional attire and gowns, kitchenware, crafts, carpets, electronics…the list goes on and on. Silk Market appeared to have a better selection of most items, especially apparel and handbags. It was also much cleaner than Yashow. We didn’t stay in Yashow nearly as long because their selection was limited and the quality appeared to be very low. Silk Market, however, had more of the ‘genuine fake’ items of much higher quality. Nearly all the vendors at both markets welcomed bargaining, despite the signs posted all over the windows at Silk Market claiming no bargaining was allowed. I was shocked to see how low we could negotiate prices. In Hanoi you can usually get your item for ¼ of the original price the vendor gives. In Beijing we were able to get most items for ¾ of the original price! It was a huge difference and made for some big savings. The common practice is to allow them to tell you what price they want you to pay, then offer an alternative price somewhere near 80% lower than the asking price. The vendor will promptly shake their head, say no, and ask you to offer a better price. At that point you can walk away and begin heading to the vendor next door – who is selling the exact same thing, mind you – and they will call you back almost immediately and begin bargaining lower. You can usually stay firm to your original counteroffer and they will eventually sell you the item at that price. They are good for telling you that their product is the best, despite the fact that they are obviously knockoffs. The whole ordeal can last for five minutes or so, but if you’re not in a hurry or too impatient than it’s worth the time. Shopping in Asia is definitely like nothing else I’ve seen in America or Europe. Africa was a bit similar but still not comparable. Asian shopping is surely something to take advantage of if you are interested in quality shopping for bargain prices. Just stay away from brands like Pdara, Channel, and Adibas!

This market was always referred to as Silk Street. It was outdoors until 2005 when it became Silk Market and had a roof built over the entire street. It is now known as one of the best underground markets in Beijing.