Beijing's main shopping street, 1 km of department stores, flagship brands, and snack stalls 5 minutes east of Tiananmen.
At a glance
- What it is
- Shopping
- Also known as
- 王府井大街 (Wáng Fǔ Jǐng Dà Jiē)
- Opening hours
- Always open
- Time needed
- 2-3 hours
- Best time to visit
- Late afternoon, after Tiananmen morning visit
- Getting there
- Metro to the door
- English
- Full English menu
- Cards accepted
- Visa, Mastercard
- Entry
- Walk-in — no booking
- Wi-Fi
- Free Wi-Fi
- Address
- Wangfujing Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing · 东城区王府井大街
See Wangfujing Streettickets & tours
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Wangfujing — named for a Ming dynasty ducal palace and its iconic well — has been Beijing's premier commercial street for over 700 years. The pedestrian-only middle section runs north for 1 km from the Beijing Hotel intersection. Today it hosts everything from Apple's flagship store and Beijing's biggest Uniqlo to centuries-old Chinese brands like Wuyutai Tea (since 1887) and Tongrentang traditional medicine. The Wangfujing Bookstore at the south end is one of the largest in China, with a foreign-language floor that's worth a browse. The eastern alley branch leads to Wangfujing Snack Street, the touristy night market famous for scorpions and seahorses on sticks. Easy 5-minute walk from Tiananmen Square via the National Museum side. Most stores 10:00-22:00; the metro stop is Wangfujing on Line 1.
Highlights
- Pedestrian-Only Main Strip1 km no-car zone; international flagships + old-Beijing brands
- Wuyutai Tea (吴裕泰茶庄)1887 traditional tea shop; sample teas and buy gift tins
- Wangfujing Bookstore (王府井书店)Largest bookstore in China; foreign-language floor exists
- Wangfujing Snack Street (王府井小吃街)Touristy night market off the east alley; scorpions, sea horses, photogenic
- 5 Min From TiananmenWalk east from Tiananmen East metro exit; pairs perfectly with morning palace visit
What Chinese travelers actually do here
Distilled from Chinese-language travel notes — the practical tips most English guides miss.
- ▸Try one scorpion skewer for the photo, then move on — the snack street is a tourist novelty and locals don't eat there.
- ▸Skip the chain souvenir stalls in the middle of the strip; they sell mass-produced trinkets at heavy markup.
- ▸Browse the Wangfujing Bookstore's foreign-language floor — it's one of China's largest and a genuinely useful, quiet stop.
- ▸Walk in from Tiananmen East via the National Museum side — it's a five-minute stroll that pairs neatly with a morning palace visit.
- ▸Come on a weekday morning around 10 AM–noon if you want to browse — weekend afternoons stack tour groups with shoppers.
- ▸Stop at Wuyutai Tea, a traditional shop dating to 1887, for sample tastings and tinned tea that travels well as gifts.
- ▸Save Wangfujing for late evening — Oriental Plaza's dining runs late and the lit pedestrian street looks best after dark.
Photos
What travelers say (5 reviews)
Watch creators visit Wangfujing Street
Each clip is timestamped to the moment the creator arrives at this stop.
This Is Beijing — Ancient, Modern, Unbelievable 🇨🇳
CoolVisionStarts at 26:28
Wangfujing Street
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Videos
![Walk tour of Wangfujing Street in Beijing 🇨🇳 [4K]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/e4fKrpjQoRY/hqdefault.jpg)
Frequently asked questions about Wangfujing Street
- Is Wangfujing in Beijing really famous for scorpion skewers?
- The famous Wangfujing Snack Street (off Donghuamen Night Market alley) was historically known for novelty street food including scorpion, centipede, starfish, and silkworm-pupae skewers. The original snack street was demolished in 2016, but a smaller scorpion-skewer stall section still operates near the south end. Reality: most foreigners try one skewer for the photo and never finish it. The food is mainly a tourist novelty — locals do not eat there.
- What should I actually shop for on Wangfujing Street?
- Genuine picks: Wangfujing Bookstore (the largest in China — English-language travel books at fair prices), Beijing Department Store (the original 1955 "Bai Da" — Mao-era nostalgia plus historic photo spots), Oriental Plaza mall (luxury brands plus the Apple flagship), and Sheng Xi Fu hat shop (founded 1854 — winter fur hats and silk caps). Avoid the chain souvenir stalls in the middle — they sell mass-produced trinkets at 3× markup.
- How does Wangfujing compare to Qianmen Street?
- Qianmen leans historic — restored Qing facades, the trolley tram, old-brand storefronts, and the Dashilan'r side alleys. Wangfujing is modern department stores plus the famous (touristy) snack stalls and a wider luxury mall section at Oriental Plaza. For a first-time Beijing visit, Qianmen has more substance; Wangfujing works as a late-evening stop because it stays open later. Both are within one metro stop of Tiananmen.
- How do I get to Wangfujing from Tiananmen or the Forbidden City?
- From the Forbidden City's Meridian Gate exit, walk 10 minutes east along Donghuamen Street — Wangfujing Street begins at the intersection with Wangfujing North. From Tiananmen Square take Metro Line 1 east one stop to Wangfujing station, Exit A. Total walking distance from the Forbidden City to the south end of Wangfujing Street is 1.2 km — easy on foot through Donghuamen.
- When is Wangfujing Street busiest and least crowded?
- Saturday and Sunday afternoons 2:00–8:00 PM are peak — domestic tour groups stack with weekend shoppers. Weekday mornings (10:00 AM–12:00 PM) feel almost empty and are best for browsing. Evening 6:00–10:00 PM is best for atmosphere — Oriental Plaza's late-night dining and the lit pedestrian street look most photogenic. The street stays open 24 hours but most stores close at 22:00.
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