Yabaolu, or literally "elegant treasure road" in Chinese, is the unofficial Russiantown of Beijing. This neighborhood is nearbyRitan Parkand has many Russians here for trade and is home to the colossal multi-story wholesale clothing center catered toward Russians. More aboutYabaolucontinues.

For Russians never having been to Beijing, they might have heard about this place from their fellow countrymen. This area is a little enclave for Russians in Beijing, mainly because of its businesses and merchants who cater toward them. The area was created in 1988 and really took off after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. The low-priced goods here attracted Russian traders ever since. Yabaolu is located just north of Ritan Park in Chaoyang District. Getting here takes less than ten minutes by foot from the Chaoyangmen station of Bejiing Subway Line 2 and 6.

The Yabaolu area attracts more than just Russian traders looking to purchase goods in bulk to be shipped north to be resold. There are tons of Russian restaurants, markets, and clubs that attract Russians, foreigners, and Chinese. This area really does live up to its Russian enclave reputation. Some pedicab drivers in this area speak pidgin Russian and many stores have Russian signs written in Cyrillic. Business in this area has evolved from the beginning, with a push towards a more retail like environment. After the Olympics in 2008, several malls have opened in the area targeting retail, as opposed to wholesale, clientele. However, Yabaolu remains an area that resembles Russiantown more than anything else.