Beijing's famous Silk Market to be demolished
(Agencies)
Updated: 2004-06-21 10:44

Beijing's famous outdoor Silk Market, stacked with fake brand name goods, is set to be demolished and moved to an indoor site because of concerns over fire dangers, state media said.

A tourist looks at a selection of bags held by a vendor in Beijing's famous outdoor Silk Market. Stacked with fake brand name goods, the market is set to be demolished and moved to an indoor site because of concerns of fire danger. [AFP]

The Xiushui market, as it is referred to by Chinese, is one of Beijing's most popular tourist destinations, drawing crowds of up to 20,000 people at weekends to search out cheap fake designer shoes, coats and bags.

But its fate has been under a cloud since the municipal government decided the narrow thoroughfare was a fire risk.

A decision now appears to be have been made to knock it down, although an exact date for the demolition has not been set.

The area where the market is located, near the equally famous Friendship Store which is itself under threat of closure, will be turned into a street to ease the increasingly grindlocked traffic along Chang'an Avenue.

It will be moved to a new indoor building over eight stories that can accomodate 1,000 stalls.

The Silk Market alone has annual sales of more than 100 million yuan (12 million dollars).

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