Silk Market (Xiushui)

The Silk Market is Beijing's most famous foreigner-targeted shopping destination — six floors of stalls selling silk garments, custom-tailored suits, leather goods, jewelry, electronics, and the city's most notorious knockoff brand-name clothing (LV, Gucci, Nike, etc.). The 1980s original was an outdoor street market that 'sold' silk and was raided periodically for fakes; the current indoor seven-story replacement opened in 2005 with the same vendor culture intact. Aggressive bargaining is essential — you must offer 10-20% of the first asking price, and skilled bargainers walk away from at least one offer to get the real price. English is universal here (vendors learned it specifically for foreigners). Tailoring on floors 1-3 is genuinely good — custom suit in 3 days for ~2,000-3,000 RMB. Avoid the 'massage' touts on the upper floors. The basement food court has Sichuan, dim sum, and other quick options. Best with patience and a willingness to argue; not for first-time bargainers.