Wangfujing is without a doubt Beijing's premier shopping area.  It is on this pedestrian walkway where gigantic malls, mostly upscale, lined the street left and right.  A lot of the malls were new and a number of malls were still under construction during our visit.  At its very end is the humongous Oriental Plaza Mall which was divided into zones because of its sheer size. It is not on par yet with New York's Fifth Avenue nor Tokyo's Ginza but given China's growing economic might, it just might as well be on the way to being one of the world's finest shopping streets.

I was so looking forward to going shopping in Beijing given China's reputation as an excellent manufacturer of goods ranging from the cheap to the ridiculously expensive.  Much to my dismay, I found most of the merchandise in department stores priced way too high for my taste.  In fact, they were outrageously priced compared to US prices.  The Chinese lady I sat next to on my United flight to Beijing was right.  Shopping is better in the US.  It is indeed cheaper in the States than in China.

I once went inside a men's boutique in Oriental Plaza and looked at one blazer.  The sales person first showed me the price, gave me a discount, and wanted me to haggle and bargain with her some more.  I didn't feel comfortable bargaining with her so I just smiled, said thank you, and left.  I thought bargaining was only done in the silk market where cheap fakes were sold.  I didn't realize haggling also happened even in mainstream stores and malls.

Anyway, Beijing was colorful at night with all department stores and malls all lit up for the Christmas and New Year holidays.

Inside the posh Oriental Plaza Mall

I must say the mall never felt crowded and suffocating during all the times Marc and I went inside.  We ate in this mall's food court a couple of times.

The Malls at Oriental Plaza Wangfujing

McDonald's also known to many Americans as the Golden Arches.

We had breakfast here the morning before we went to the Forbidden City.

It was freezing when we were in Beijing and going indoors even for just a while was a truly welcome respite for us.

Just so you know, the other popular American fast food visitor's will see in Wangfujing is Colonel Sander's KFC.  Now this place was a definite hit, so it seemed, among Beijingers.  It was packed by locals and tourists alike every single time we passed by it.

Foreign brandds galore along Wangfujing

A muslim restaurant right in the heart of Beijing.  Can you believe it?

Neons and Christmas lights all along Wangfujing

If I am not mistaken, this building is the Beijing Department Store, Beijing finest.

Here's Santa jamming

Fixing my Chinese military winter hat

These faux fur military hats were my best buys in Beijing.

While I loved wearing the Chinese military hat I bought, what I disliked about wearing it or any hat or cap for that matter, is that my hair becomes very, very flat.

Taken inside a subway station.  Not sure now where we were going when this picture was taken.  It might have been to the Olympic Birds Nest and Aquatic Park.

Get a load of this poster inside the subway station

So beautiful!

Another poster inside the subway station.

What do you think?  Propaganda?