Silk Street
Silk Street
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TravelOften1968
Johannesburg, South Africa584 contributions
Sep 2014 • Business
So, first I want to make sure that that I am writing about the Silk Street I visited. On trip Advisor there are reviews for Silk Street and New Silk Street Alley Market. My hosts took me to the New Silk Street which is in downtown Beijing but in the Chaoyang District. From other reviews it sound like the same place, but just make sure you ask for the New Silk Street.
So this is four or five floors of everything of a 'conspicuous consumption' nature you might want to buy in China. The reputation for fakes is deserved, as most of the stalls are dedicated to selling you fake western brands - from t-shirts to jeans to watches to children's toys (all of which are fakes or made locally).
Amidst all the fakes, however, there are some genuine Chinese things to look out for. I saw a lot of tourists ordering tailor-made suits or dresses, which is beyond me why you would not go to one of Beijing's proper tailors and get a better made suit at probably a lower price.
But the one thing that stood out for me in this market was the authentic cashmere clothing (sweaters, scarves, shawls) from Inner Mongolia. The shop I bought our cashmere from was on the second floor of the Silk Street market. The prices are unbelievable. Without any bargaining they are a third of the price of cashmere in London, New York or other major centres. With good bargaining they are a tenth of the price. An amazing quality cashmere from Mongolia. To me this would be a reason to go to the market alone.
We also bought a few handbags. The market has a range of handbags. You can buy very cheap fakes, mid-quality fakes or very high end goods which are either third shift goods (goods made in the genuine factory in China by the workers but smuggled out surreptitiously) or very good reproductions made in Chinese factories that are dedicated to producing such high end goods. The very good bags are made of genuine leather complete with authenticity cards and all the bells and whistles you would find on the same product in France, Italy or the USA. If you looked really closely you could pick up a few things here and there, but in passing you would not be able to tell the difference. You will pay more depending on the quality you want, so at the end of the day it comes down to how much you want to spend versus the quality of the bag you want to own. But if you can, search out for the very good bags and pay a little bit more for something that will last and will not be so obviously not the real deal.
Otherwise, the market is also good for silk Chinese pajamas and other trinkets to take home to family and friend alike. I would not touch the jade, amber or other precious stones in the market as it is tough to tell if they are genuine or not. There are some fake watches if that is your thing, but again you will not have any recourse if something goes wrong a week after you have bought it.
As said in other reviews, bargain hard. You can easily get down 2/3 from the asking price without breaking a sweat. But everyone knows this, including the merchants (who also read Trip Advisor). So they have adjusted their opening prices to account for this. Our strategy was to open with a very low price and keep it low. Pretend to walk out a few times. Plead poverty. Plead that your partner will not let you pay that much. Plead that you do not have that much. Actually walk away if you have to and come back later. Be persistent. As long as they are talking to you, it means that your price is within a range acceptable to them or they think they can get you to a price acceptable to them. Only if they stop talking to you or walk away do you know that your price is too low. You will be amazed at how low you can get these prices. Remember that their wholesale cost is very low as well, so you cannot use 'western prices' as your benchmark, particularly since the stuff is not the real deal. At the same time, you do not want to lose your deal over a couple of dollars, pounds or euros. So it is a balancing act, but generally I would go in very low and would be surprised at how close I came to my 'I never thought they would take that price' opening offer. You will never get it at the first price you offer, but if you stick to this floor and work up in small increments, you will get very close to that opening offer. Again, as long as they are talking to you, it means that your price is in their range. Have some fun with it!
In terms of cash management, the only thing that was annoying was the fickle bank machines at the market. Most stalls take credit cards. They will try and add the credit card service charge to your purchase, but just tell them that you will not pay this, that they have to include it in the price, and threaten to walk away if they do not include it. They will include it. But obviously the better prices and better deals can be made if you are paying cash. There are lots of bank machines in the market, so drawing cash should not be a problem in theory. However, I could not draw cash out of any of the bank machines in the market. When I called my bank in frustration, I was told that the machines at the market have a high incidence of fraud so they had blocked all transactions from those machines. I had to go to a bank across from my hotel to draw money and go back to the market. So prudent planning would suggest you bring cash and try and stick within your budget barring which you can always charge purchases on your credit cards. My credit card worked in some stalls and not others (as Chinese banks are struggling to process some chip enabled credit cards) but if a merchant's machine will not take your card, he or she will take your to his friend at the stall next door who has a newer machine that will take your card. This was not fraud and I did not find any extra charges on my card - it is just that some machines in China will not take chip enabled western bank issued credit cards.
So this is four or five floors of everything of a 'conspicuous consumption' nature you might want to buy in China. The reputation for fakes is deserved, as most of the stalls are dedicated to selling you fake western brands - from t-shirts to jeans to watches to children's toys (all of which are fakes or made locally).
Amidst all the fakes, however, there are some genuine Chinese things to look out for. I saw a lot of tourists ordering tailor-made suits or dresses, which is beyond me why you would not go to one of Beijing's proper tailors and get a better made suit at probably a lower price.
But the one thing that stood out for me in this market was the authentic cashmere clothing (sweaters, scarves, shawls) from Inner Mongolia. The shop I bought our cashmere from was on the second floor of the Silk Street market. The prices are unbelievable. Without any bargaining they are a third of the price of cashmere in London, New York or other major centres. With good bargaining they are a tenth of the price. An amazing quality cashmere from Mongolia. To me this would be a reason to go to the market alone.
We also bought a few handbags. The market has a range of handbags. You can buy very cheap fakes, mid-quality fakes or very high end goods which are either third shift goods (goods made in the genuine factory in China by the workers but smuggled out surreptitiously) or very good reproductions made in Chinese factories that are dedicated to producing such high end goods. The very good bags are made of genuine leather complete with authenticity cards and all the bells and whistles you would find on the same product in France, Italy or the USA. If you looked really closely you could pick up a few things here and there, but in passing you would not be able to tell the difference. You will pay more depending on the quality you want, so at the end of the day it comes down to how much you want to spend versus the quality of the bag you want to own. But if you can, search out for the very good bags and pay a little bit more for something that will last and will not be so obviously not the real deal.
Otherwise, the market is also good for silk Chinese pajamas and other trinkets to take home to family and friend alike. I would not touch the jade, amber or other precious stones in the market as it is tough to tell if they are genuine or not. There are some fake watches if that is your thing, but again you will not have any recourse if something goes wrong a week after you have bought it.
As said in other reviews, bargain hard. You can easily get down 2/3 from the asking price without breaking a sweat. But everyone knows this, including the merchants (who also read Trip Advisor). So they have adjusted their opening prices to account for this. Our strategy was to open with a very low price and keep it low. Pretend to walk out a few times. Plead poverty. Plead that your partner will not let you pay that much. Plead that you do not have that much. Actually walk away if you have to and come back later. Be persistent. As long as they are talking to you, it means that your price is within a range acceptable to them or they think they can get you to a price acceptable to them. Only if they stop talking to you or walk away do you know that your price is too low. You will be amazed at how low you can get these prices. Remember that their wholesale cost is very low as well, so you cannot use 'western prices' as your benchmark, particularly since the stuff is not the real deal. At the same time, you do not want to lose your deal over a couple of dollars, pounds or euros. So it is a balancing act, but generally I would go in very low and would be surprised at how close I came to my 'I never thought they would take that price' opening offer. You will never get it at the first price you offer, but if you stick to this floor and work up in small increments, you will get very close to that opening offer. Again, as long as they are talking to you, it means that your price is in their range. Have some fun with it!
In terms of cash management, the only thing that was annoying was the fickle bank machines at the market. Most stalls take credit cards. They will try and add the credit card service charge to your purchase, but just tell them that you will not pay this, that they have to include it in the price, and threaten to walk away if they do not include it. They will include it. But obviously the better prices and better deals can be made if you are paying cash. There are lots of bank machines in the market, so drawing cash should not be a problem in theory. However, I could not draw cash out of any of the bank machines in the market. When I called my bank in frustration, I was told that the machines at the market have a high incidence of fraud so they had blocked all transactions from those machines. I had to go to a bank across from my hotel to draw money and go back to the market. So prudent planning would suggest you bring cash and try and stick within your budget barring which you can always charge purchases on your credit cards. My credit card worked in some stalls and not others (as Chinese banks are struggling to process some chip enabled credit cards) but if a merchant's machine will not take your card, he or she will take your to his friend at the stall next door who has a newer machine that will take your card. This was not fraud and I did not find any extra charges on my card - it is just that some machines in China will not take chip enabled western bank issued credit cards.
Written September 25, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kevin B
Casper19 contributions
Nov 2019 • Couples
If you enjoy the sport of bargaining then Silk Street is a place to visit. Easy to get to using the subway system. Go up at exit A1. Go in knowing what you are buying is a fake and you won’t be disappointed. The vendors aggressively try to get your attention and will bargain, bargain, bargain once they have it. I wasn’t disappointed with any of the “deals” I made, and I certainly enjoyed the bargaining.
Written November 12, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
HninWaiLwin
Yangon (Rangoon), Myanmar40 contributions
Apr 2015 • Friends
Almost all things selling in that building are fakes ( we can kindly say replica) but yet very expensive. If you are the person who don't know how to haggle, do not go there. Over 2000 RMB for one fake replica Coach bag, it is equal to US$ 327. 100 RMB for one silk scarf which is only worth 10-20 RMB at other places. Do not waste your time there.
Written April 24, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Glenn D
Amsterdam, The Netherlands13 contributions
Apr 2017 • Family
Went expecting cheap markets, or at least markets where you could get good deals.
But got a market that has an over inflated ego. Almost if they are trying to rebrand this from markets to a high end mall. Same thing is happening at a lot of the markets we went to Yashow included.
Prices at silk st were marked were very high, absurdly so. 20-50% over austtalia retail prices. Which then just reduced out interest to even go into the shops, let alone haggle.
Considering you didn't know if these were legit or not a discount of 80% or more was needed just to be interesting.
Too much effort. Didnt buy anything
Some of the taylors might have been ok.
Go to zoo markets.
Beijing, what are you doing to your markets?
But got a market that has an over inflated ego. Almost if they are trying to rebrand this from markets to a high end mall. Same thing is happening at a lot of the markets we went to Yashow included.
Prices at silk st were marked were very high, absurdly so. 20-50% over austtalia retail prices. Which then just reduced out interest to even go into the shops, let alone haggle.
Considering you didn't know if these were legit or not a discount of 80% or more was needed just to be interesting.
Too much effort. Didnt buy anything
Some of the taylors might have been ok.
Go to zoo markets.
Beijing, what are you doing to your markets?
Written April 14, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Danii020
8 contributions
Jul 2015
Don't go here! Complete waste of time. Prices are way too high for fakes and no quality what so ever . The sellers expect you to pay $400 for a knock off designer bag what a joke! Don't believe any of them and their fake stories.
Written July 3, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
jana2003
iran22 contributions
Mar 2017 • Family
This place is amazing! There are so many different things to buy in this place and so many different shops with clothes and souvenirs(mostly) etc. But if you are visiting here I should tell you that BARGAIN is a MUST! Because they ALWAYS accept your lower price and you'll just walk out with so many shopping bags! Silk street is absolutely worth visiting for shopping for your needs!
Written March 22, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Latoyaa1
Scarborough, Tobago273 contributions
Sep 2016 • Business
Don't take anything at first price. You can get it for over 10 times the price cheaper. Some store people are a bit aggressive. You can get alot of fake brands here but I love the silk scarves.
Written September 18, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Emma
County Kerry, Ireland211 contributions
Mar 2016
Good if you are looking for fake handbags but be prepared to bargain bargain bargain. Marked prices are extortionate for fake bags but you have to bargain. Can get Michael kors bag for 100yuan.
Written March 22, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ketki05
Mumbai, India121 contributions
If you are pressed for time but still want to shop, head to Silk Street market in downtown Beijing.
You have everything from first copy handbags & watches to silk scarves, clothing, fine jewellery, pearls and chinaware.
Bargain is a must and the tip is to pay only 1/3rd of the price that is quoted.
Don't forget to a carry on trolley bag if you plan to shop a lot.
You have everything from first copy handbags & watches to silk scarves, clothing, fine jewellery, pearls and chinaware.
Bargain is a must and the tip is to pay only 1/3rd of the price that is quoted.
Don't forget to a carry on trolley bag if you plan to shop a lot.
Written May 15, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
dannytamimaya
London, UK673 contributions
May 2017 • Couples
It was on our list of things to do on our first night, to stay awake, we needed new glasses but between me and you could have got the same price in the U.K. , but they where made in 24 hours. We did not buy anything else but glasses have been too better places then this in Thailand and bigger . You don't need a tour guide the underground stops outside , down the side outside across the road we found a nice small restaurant they served soup for about $2.00 really yummy .
Would I go again , no waste of time
Would I go again , no waste of time
Written May 12, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Claim your listingSilk Street - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)
Frequently Asked Questions about Silk Street
- Hotels near Silk Street:
- (0.50 mi) Yingxiang Business Hotel
- (2.98 mi) Renaissance Suzhou Wujiang Hotel
- (0.76 mi) GreenTree Alliance Suzhou Shengze Dongfang Silk Market Old Eagle
- (0.80 mi) Jinxin Business Hotel
- (0.77 mi) Jin'ou Business Hotel
- Restaurants near Silk Street:
- (2.08 mi) Mei Mei Hong Kong Tea Restaurant
- (8.74 mi) Qian Tang Ren Jia (Shuang Qiao Tu)
- (9.92 mi) YangGuang MaTou Seafood Dou Lao (JiaXing HeXing North Road)
- (2.47 mi) Suo FeiKe NiuPai
- (9.42 mi) Ding Ge HeiYu Guan
Silk Street Information
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Very Good Reviews | 4 |
Silk Street Photos | 7 |