An Exclusive Silk Retail Shop near the Yonghegong Lamasery

Chinese silk fabric is very famous for its exquisite patterns and high quality. This is especially the case of silk manufactured in Hangzhou, a beautiful city in Zhejiang province.

Located near Beixinqiao metro station, I found a shop offering Hangzhou silk at fair prices.

The fabric patterns displayed in the shop windows attracted my eye. I pushed the door, and a clerk welcomed me warmly. Browsing through the shelves, I noted the silk fabric rolls were organized by prices and colors. Light hues were stowed on the right, darker colors on the left. In the back of the shop, a small workroom: the clerk explained it was used to tailor silk clothes and cotton garments.

Amongst the beautiful swatches of silk laid before me, my favorite was an orange patch bearing a phoenix design, a very traditional Chinese theme. A closer examination revealed the exquisite pattern was sewn with threads of several hues: golden, light blue, yellow, and green. The workmanship was of a high quality, and the silk material felt soft. At RMB 58/m, the price was definitely right. From what I observed in the shop, prices for silk fabric range between RMB 18 and RMB 168 per meter.

As noted earlier, the shop does not only resell fabrics, it creates tailor-made clothes. A regular Qipao dress would require 2 meters of silk to be made. So the price for a tailor-made dress – including a tailoring fee of RMB 85 -- would be comprised between RMB 121 and RMB 421, depending on the quality of the material selected. A very reasonable price compared with what you could expect to pay for off-the-rack Qipaos in more touristic areas of Beijing.

The shop also offers other made-to-order garments such as business suits and shirts (long and short sleeved). In general, patrons can get their order within 3 business days.

In view of their comparatively low prices, the shop does not bargain.

What I appreciated:

Phoenix pattern silk fabric, reasonable prices

What customers appreciate:

High quality, personal design