Introduction

Wangfujing is now considered as the central heart of Beijing City. It is the first modern-style commercial street in Beijing, about 800 meters long and on two sides of it standing many stores and malls. A walk from end to end would take you about 30 mins, and that's without looking at any shops and malls.

Wangfujing is on the northern side of Chang'an Avenue, east of Tian'anmen Square. It is known as China's No.1 Shopping Street, and its prominence can be traced back to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).

In the early 1990s, work began on an extensive renovation of Wangfujing and was not completed until 1999. Wangfujing now has a brand-new look, featuring a pedestrian street 810 meters long and 12 meters wide, paved with dark-red granite slabstone. On both sides of the street stand retail stores, commercial buildings, and shopping malls, all with a modern look. Squares for relaxing, green patches, flower terraces, fountains, colorfully decorated lanterns, benches, and sculptures adorn the sidewalks.

Wangfujing is a world of commodities. There are many shopping places, such as the Wangfujing Department Store, the New Dong'an Market, and the Oriental Plaza, each of them embracing hundreds of merchants selling clothes, footwear, bedding, toys, cosmetics, household appliances, hi-tech products, and just about everything else imaginable.

Wangfujing also features a wide array of specialty establishments, including bookstores, watchmaker's shops, optician's shops, photo studios, sports-goods stores, and art-and-handicraft shops.