Located near drum tower, Yalixuan has a nostalgic exterior decoration which really meshes with the imperial atmosphere in the area. The shop mainly focuses on sales of canvas and calligraphy works, although I find the mini handcrafts more attractive myself.

I saw many items I liked as I walked around. But the ones which really caught my attention were the miniature kites. First was a cute Fuwa (Beijing Olympic mascots) kites, each no larger than my palm. Other nice ones include ‘Peking Opera facemask’ kites, ‘Four beauties of ancient China’ kites, and the ‘Zodiac animals’ kites. Each creation is small and delicate, and looked more fitting as a decoration than to be actually flown. The shop assistant said that they all came from Weifang, known as the hometown of kite. Price ranges from RMB 50 to RMB 150.

Other mini handcrafted items were made from wood, including inscribed bamboo-slips, basins, round-backed armchairs, and caskets (around RMB 1200). They all reflected the daily life of ancient Chinese.

You can bargain a little bit, but it is not really customary.

What I appreciate:
Mini handcrafts

What customer appreciate:
Large selection, traditional feel