Some people say the Silk Market (Xiu Shui) is for foreigners and Xidan is for Beijingers. Xidan is one of the biggest business districts in Beijing. It's located west of Tiananmen square, mirroring the location of Wangfujing Sreet which is on the east of Tiananmen. Xidan is more popular among local people as it's cheap, compared with Wangfujing Street which is considered a more expensive international shopping street.
Transportation: Subway Line 1 at Xidan (exit A for Xidan North Street, the center of Xidan business district.); Bus: 1, 4, 10, 15, 22, 47, 52, 61, 603, 808, 102, 109
Xi Dan Cultural Square
Located at the Northeastern corner of the Xi Dan junction and west of Tiananmen Square, the 32,000 square metre Xi Dan Square features statues, green grass, and benches placed along the zigzag pavement. One can skate, swim, play softball and bowl here. But, underground the so-called “cultural square” is a commercial world where consumerism rules. This shopping centre rivals any up-market department store found on the streets. There are cafes, snack bars, teahouses and drugstores to cater for visitors as well. Address: 180 Xidan Beidajie, Xi Cheng District Phone: 10-6606 3558
Xidan Department Store 西单商场 (Public, SHA: 600723)
This old building, usually filled with a chaotic mass of customers, is fun to explore. It seems like an open-air night market that was simply moved indoors. There are all sorts of items for sale, like clothes, shoes and accessories, as well as dried and fresh food in strange shapes and flavors. Interesting to note is the massage parlor, right next to the escalators, waiting to re- energize weary shoppers. Maneuvering through this complex necessitates zigzagging through different stores. Address: 120 Xidan Beidajie, Xi Cheng District Phone: 10-6605-6531
Beijing 77th Street Plaza
77th Street is not a street name. It is the biggest youth fashion retail chain from Singapore , helmed by a lady entrepreneur by the name of Elim Chew. It is the first shopping mall that features fashion and entertainment for young people in Beijing. 77th Street spent millions of dollars to refurbish the two level basement of the Xidan Cultural Center and turned it into a hip and cool shopping mall aimed at the youths. There is also a 4D cinema, indoor skating rink, Korean town and many amazing fashion clothes and shoe shops. Address: Underground of 180 Xidan Beidajie (Xidan subway station exit A & B) Phone: 10-6357-5699
Grand Pacific Mall 君太百货
Grand Pacific Mall, the second big department store in Xidan, offers fashion and lifestyle shopping experience among young consumers. Address:133 Xidan Beidajie, Xidan/Financial Street, Xicheng District, Beijing Phone:010-6612-6888
Zhongyou (Chung-Yo) Department Store 中友百货
Zhongyou Department Store is a new shopping and eating destination among young people. Many intentional brands have branch stores here such as Chanel, Estee Lauder, Dior, Lancome, L’Oreal, Jack & Jones, Only, G-star, Veromoda and Nautica. One of the attractions of Zhongyou is its sale promotions. You may find discounts for all these famous brands here ° ™ Jack Jones, the brand that doesn’t even have membership discount recently had 50% off at Zhongyou. There is a 2007 shopping festival sale promotion at Zhongyou now, so don’t miss out on the bargains for these quality clothes. Address: 176 Xidan Beidajie, Xi Cheng District Phone: 10-6601-8899
Xi Dan Sci-Tech 西单赛特商城
This complex is a branch of the SciTech-Plaza in Jian Guo Men Wai but with a broader selection of goods that are better quality and at lower prices.
'Household Kingdom' is in the basement with everything for the home. On the first floor are housed cosmetics and jewelry booths. The second floor has casual wear with brands like Lee Cooper, Esprit and Azona. The third floor has a good selection of the best Chinese labels for ladies. The fourth floor features menswear and the fifth floor is devoted to children's clothing and accessories. Address: 111 Xidan Beidajie, Xi Cheng District Phone: 10-6615-0223
Xidan's latest addition is the massive 13-story Xidan Dayuecheng, with over 100,000 square meters of retail space, the largest cinema in China, and Beijing's biggest cosmetics market. Housed in a funky angular building bejeweled by a layer of colored bulbs, the mall is home to Beijing's second branch of Zara, British clothing retailers Next, Japanese home accessories Chian Muji, FCUK, PROMOD, cage4 chain Wagas, Taiwanese street food vendors Long Xing Xiao Chi, among a host of other shops and eateries. Address: 131 Xidan Beidajie, Xidan/Financial Street (next to Pafific Plaza by Xidan Square), Xicheng District Phone: 010-6651-7777 Website: www.xidanjoycity.com
Capital Times Square 首都时代广场 Address: 88 Xi Chang'an Jie, Xidan/Financial Street Phone: 8391-3311
Xi Dan Shopping Center 西单购物中心 Address: No.132, Xi Dan Beidajie, Xidan/Financial Street Phone: 010-6602-5016
Beijing Book Building (Xidan BookStore) 北京图书大厦
Beijing Book Building is the largest state-owned retail bookstore in Beijing. It offers more than 300,000 varieties of books, audio and video products and electronic publications from more than 500 publishers. Address: 17 Changan Avenue West (Xidan subway station exit B or C), Xicheng District Phone: 10-6607-8459
109 New Wedding Dress and Photography Square
Expect to pay anywhere from RMB 1,000 to prices exceeding RMB 10,000, depending on the label and the dress. Address: 109 Xidan Beidajie, Xicheng District Phone: 10-6605-2050
New York New York Wedding Photography Studio
Address: 109 Xidan Beidajie, Xicheng District Phone: 10-6618-9720