Sanlitun an epicenter for dedicated followers of fashion, bookworms

Heading northwest from SKP to Parkview Green, another shopping mall in Chaoyang district that also doubles as an art gallery and museum, another unique shopping experience is created.

As the name implies, it is an eco-friendly building dotted with contemporary artworks, imposing sculptures and avant-garde paintings.

Technical consultancy Arup said: "Parkview Green is one of China's largest sustainable architecture projects. Not only is it the first structure in Beijing designed to be environmentally sustainable, but it is also the first to make use of a 'microclimate' as a means of minimizing energy consumption throughout a building's lifetime."

Elsewhere, brick-and-mortar bookstores have risen in prominence in Chaoyang in recent years as modern Chinese shoppers seek a nostalgic and relaxed atmosphere to browse literary content old and new.

The Page One bookstore specializes in English titles and has three branches in the capital, two of them located in Chaoyang district.

One Way Street Library, founded in Beijing by several intellectuals in 2006, has opened a new branch in Chaoyang Joy City, attracting scores of fashionable young people.

In Sanlitun, the 24-hour bookstore Sanlian Taofen's new branch has become a landmark since opening in 2018.

A China Daily piece in 2019 noted that young people can be seen sitting with their laptops, engrossed, around desks inside the 700-squaremeter store that stocks some 20,000 kinds of books.

"We come here quite often, and it is my best location to wrap up my daily work," said a young customer surname Zhang, who lives close to the bookstore. "It is the only quiet place I could find around this area."

The bookstore offers titles in ancient Chinese and English editions. It also sells souvenirs and trinkets for travelers to Beijing.

Anna, a tourist from Russia, told China Daily, "That's something I haven't experienced before in my country."

For shoppers wanting to purchase something slightly older, especially those hunting for authentic Chinese treasures, Panjiayuan Antiques Market in Chaoyang district is a destination that cannot be missed. It is the largest and most popular antiques market in Beijing.

Spanning 48,500 sq m, the market has over 3,000 dealers. Potential buyers are likely to spend an entire day perusing antiques, statues and traditional furniture along narrow walkways.