Silk Street [Photo via tuchong.com] 

The old Silk Alley was a treat for bargain-hunting tourists, yet it was hot in the summer and cold in the winter and jam-packed with people. Today, developments in the area have made way for bigger and brighter things: one of which is the new Silk Street, a mall where many traders and wares of the old alley have now occupied a comfortable, safe and new building that faces Beijing's main traffic route, Jianguomenwai Dajie.

Address: No 8 Xiushui Dongjie, Chaoyang district

Traffic: Subway Line 1, Yong'anli Station; bus Nos 1 or 37