The Silk Street (aka Xiushui Market) Experience

During our last night in Beijing we had an opportunity to do whatever we wanted. I was desperate to start shopping and check out what China has to offer. Retail therapy was very much needed during my homesickness.

So, the coach dropped a large group of us at Silk Street Market. According to Wikipedia, Silk Street market attracts approx 20,000 visitors daily (from 9am to 9pm) on weekdays and between 50,000 and 60,000 on weekends. (How crazy is that!). As I stroll through the vibrant hustle and bustle attempting to absorb the culture shock, I feel a hand gently tug at me.

''Hey!!! Beautiful lady!'' A sweet voice says to me in an Americanified accent.

''Beautiful lady I have jeans for you, I have Kimonos, I have bags and I have shoes. You need shoes?" she starts barking in my face. Another one, plain inches away, yells at me to buy a shirt for my husband.

Like a lamb ready for slaughter I enter the small stall. Then all of a sudden pure silk garments are being shoved into my bag, prices whispered into my ear, random photos taken of me from passer by's, my sunglasses taken off my head and replaced with new designer imitation ones and my nail polish ready to be changed colour?!

Immediately, after over coming the shock of what I have got myself into, I try to push past the crowd whilst trying to return my packed clothes (which I had never even seen or agreed to buy) put my original sunglasses back onto my head and continue posing for photographs. As I turn around a cute little Chinese lady blocks the exit. It was a challenging experience, one which I will never forget. I have vowed to myself that I will not let this experience put me off of shopping on my return to London.

Check it, this 35,000-square-meter complex houses 1,700 retail vendors and over 3,000 salespeople spread over seven floors with three levels of basements. Yes, one would presume.. Miss Chandni, that is your haven?? No way??!!

When you do find a stall where you actually 'choose' what you want to buy, the next stage is to bargain. The problem with bargaining is that you never actually know whether you have got a bargain or been totally ripped off.

For example- I found a beautiful black 100% slick silk jacket. The lady asked for 1000 Chinese Yuan (£100). This is shockingly pricey, but I had been warned about this. I had been advised to offer less than 10 per cent of the asking price. So I countered: "200 yuan." (I felt embarrassed asking for 100) The lady immediately yelled 800 yuan.

And so the ‘chorus of negotiation’ began. When we couldn’t come to an agreement, she asked me how much I pay for a coffee in London. I could tell where this was going. I walked out the shop and was followed right to the end of the building whilst the lady still attempted to negotiate with me. I did buy the jacket eventually for a price that I am really happy with.

As I moved along, I felt like I was walking through a Chinese red-light/massage district, being pulled and seduced from all directions from pretty little Chinese ladies. Like seriously people, the experience became so traumatic that I DID NOT want to shop any longer.


For my friends who are reading this blog entry, please understand that I really really wanted to buy ALL of you gifts, but it was a question of my sanity.