Overview
Wangfujing has been Beijing's central commercial street since the Ming dynasty, boasting around 700 years of history and known as 'Beijing's Myeongdong.' The 1.6km pedestrian zone is lined with department stores, luxury boutiques, and venerable Beijing shops including the 100-year-old Dong'an Market (now APM mall), Xinhua Bookstore, and Wuyutai tea shop. The famous Wangfujing Snack Street offers exotic bites like scorpion skewers, deep-fried seahorses, tanghulu (candied hawthorn), and Beijing noodles, drawing many foreign tourists. The evenings are most lively when the lights come on. Free to explore. Directly at Wangfujing Station (Metro Line 1).
Opening Hours
Street 24 hours (shops 10:00-22:00; night market 17:00-22:00)
Travel Tips
Scorpion skewers are great for photos but pricey (CNY 20-30). The food court in the Wangfujing department store basement serves authentic Beijing food at reasonable prices.
Hotels near Wangfujing Street
Hotels and guesthouses in Beijing, Dongcheng, Beijing
Other attractions in Beijing
Forbidden City (Palace Museum)
The world's largest ancient palace complex, with around 9,000 rooms that once housed the Ming and Qing emperors.
Great Wall of China
One of the Seven Wonders of the World - humanity's largest construction project, stretching over 20,000km.
Temple of Heaven
A UNESCO site where emperors offered sacrifices to heaven, featuring a geometrically perfect circular altar.
Summer Palace
The Qing imperial summer retreat — a masterpiece garden centered on Kunming Lake and Longevity Hill.
Tiananmen Square
The world's largest city square and the political heart of modern China.
Hutong (Nanluoguxiang)
Centuries-old siheyuan courtyard alleys from the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties — Beijing's traditional old town.