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 · tickets & prices →
- Wi-Fi
- Free Wi-Fi
- Address
- Wangfujing Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing · 东城区王府井大街
See Wangfujing Street tickets & tours
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Wangfujing Street map & getting there
Taxi / DiDi? Show the driver: 东城区王府井大街 · Wangfujing Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing
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
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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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