Quite a bit bigger than the other markets mentioned here, Dongjiao is known as a restaurant supply market. If something is available in Beijing at all, it’s almost guaranteed to be here, and some things are found only here. Unless you live close, this is probably not where you’ll want to do your daily grocery shopping, but it is a great place to search for hard-to-find ingredients. Prices are good without bargaining, though you are free to try talking the price down a bit if you feel you’re getting a higher price for having a foreign face.

Especially for coffee snobs, this market is quite a find: relatively fresh coffee beans roasted locally, flavouring syrups, and almost any gadget you might need for your caffeine habit. It’s also the only place in Beijing where you can buy white chocolate syrup, a treat for those who miss white mochas around Christmas time. Tea drinkers aren’t left out, though; there’s a large selection of Chinese tea as well as imported brands. If you prefer to make drinks that are a bit stronger, you won’t be disappointed by the large selection of alcohol.

One last fun thing to look for at Dongjiao is restaurant packaging. Name-brand boxes and containers make it possible to make your homemade food look professional. Granted, it might be a bit odd to put a homemade pizza in a Pizza Hut box, but there could be uses for it. It’s worth it for the sight of seeing aisles full of familiar logos, all piled on top of each other.

Add: 12 West Dawanglu Road, Chaoyang District 北京市朝阳区西大望路甲12号

Opening Hours: 08:00-17:00

Getting there: Take subway Line 1 to Dawanglu Station. Then head south on West Dawang Road until you cross a river. The market will be on the east side of the road.

Source: echinacities.com