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Tianjin had long been a business center in northern
China, even before the Opium War about 150 years ago. After the war, it played an even
more important role in China"s economy, largely due to the fact that the emperor was
compelled to make it an open port to foreign merchants. Nowadays Tianjin is probably one of China"s best places to come across a bargain, from
antiques to western modern clothing. The markets and stores here are notorious as a
shopping paradise for those bored of Beijing, and as such, on weekends, the place is
flooded with antique hunters or those after a new wardrobe. The best of the streets for
general shopping has to be Binjiang dao, a huge street with block upon block of
stalls and shops containing almost anything you might fancy. Generally though, the city is
crammed with shopping facilities and a wander around any of the main drag will bring you
into contact. Zhongxin Park is the northern boundary of the main shopping
district, with surrounding roads of Dagu Lu, Jinzhou Dao and Chifeng
Dao. For department stores, the Quanye Bazaar Department Store, a
nine-storey steel construction on the corner of Changchun Dao and Heping Lu, is popular as
the only one in China that uses real people instead of mannequins to models its clothes. Probably the most popular destination for those shoppers to Tianjin has to
be the Antique Market (Guwan shichang), centered on
Shenyang dao. This area, just west of the main shopping district, is
packed full of curios both old and new. Even if you have little intention of
buying anything, you will still have fun strolling the alleys, which are lined
with dark, small shops and stalls. Peddlers here simply spread out a newspaper
and put on display their arguably authentic curios for passers-by to peruse.
Originally centered on Shenyang Jie, it has in recent years expanded into the
neighboring streets and alleys. The size of the market varies according to the
time of a year and also day of the week, with Sunday attracting swarms of Beijing
people bargain hunting. Be sure to try and verify your products; cynicism and
hard bargaining are mandatory for the successful hunter. Finally there are a variety of specialty goods that Tianjin produces, the most obvious
being the carpets, New Year posters and clay figurines. There are many factory outlets in
the Tianjin area that produce its famous handmade carpets, although this is an expensive
option, best done by those who know what they are doing. Clay figurines have been famous
in Tianjin ever since the Master of clay, Zhang mingshan, came on the scene in
the nineteenth century. Beyond galleries and art viewing, the best place to get these
figurines is in the Nirenzhang Clay
Figurine Store on the Ancient Culture
Street. The best place to purchase your New Year posters is the Yangliuqing New Year Poster Shop,
Yangliuqing being the famous town to the west of Tianjin that has from early times
produced these prints. |
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