Beijing Attractions: Liulichang Culture Street

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Liulichang Culture Street

• Liulichang means "glazed tile factory"
• Located near Tiananmen Square to the south west
• Refurbished shopping street with antiques, souvenirs and tea
• Good book and music shops in the area
• Area fades in to a traditional hutong
• Also woodblock prints, scroll paintings, calligraphy ink and brushes

Liulichang Culture Street, is a refurbished shopping street located to the south west of Tiananmen Square.

Liulichang Culture Street has been remodeled in the 1980s as a Qing Period (1644-1912) avenue complete with siheyuan courtyard houses selling antiques real and (most likely) fake antiques as well as other assorted calligraphy brushes, curios, handicrafts, kites, name chops, scroll paintings, silks, swords tea, woodblock prints and more.

The area near Liulichang has some good bookshops selling mostly Chinese books but with also some English books on offer. There are branches of Cathay Bookshop (Tel: 6303 2104) which specializes in art and photography books. Mostly the books on sale are in Chinese, but both branches of Cathay Books on Liulichang Xijie at 18 and 34 do stock English copies. Both stores are worth browsing for committed bibliophiles. The cavernous basement of Xidan Books Building (Tel: 6607 8477) at C17 Xichang'an Jie to the north of Liulichang near Xidan subway station has a good collection of English books with English-speaking staff on hand and some seating.

West of Nanxinhua Jie at 19 Liulichang Xijie is Rongbaozhai (Tel: 6303 6090) the historic state-run Chinese artwork shop with selections of woodblock prints, hanging scrolls and calligraphy equipment. Rongbaozhai ("Studio of Glorious Treasures") opened in 1894.

Ji Gu Ge Teahouse (Tel: 6301 7849) at 132-136 Liulichang, sells traditional Chinese ceramics and tea sets. Not too far to the north east is the famous Lao She Teahouse.

If you want to stay cheaply in this area Leo Hostel and the Far East International Hostel are both located in Liulichang.

Access

The nearest subway station to Liulichang Culture Street is Hepingmen on the Circle Line, then walk south on Nanxinhua Jie. Buses: 14, 15, 16, 25, 45.

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