Bringing back that perfect item from abroad is key to the success of a holiday. So don't be disappointed. Do the research (and the leg work) and all will be well.

Learn to shop like a local and you will enter a different world in which it really pays to learn the finer art of bargaining. Many first-time visitors who give it a go declare it to be a real highlight of their trip. Don't be afraid of doing it wrong; drive a hard bargain and you will most likely profit and make some new friends!

Beijing Department Store has a long history and remains popular in the retailing heart of the city in Wangfujing. Clothing, electrical goods, make-up, and bags of all descriptions, are what draw the crowds, and do expect the crowds because they are always present.

It would be easier to list what Hongqiao Market DOESN'T sell than to go through the remarkable range of goods crammed into this four-floor shopping paradise. On the lookout for fresh seafood, head for the basement and you are certain to find something. If you cannot find the suitcase or handbag you want, chances are it doesn't exist. That goes for electrical appliances. Oh! and they have lots of real (and fake) pearls. When it comes to Chinese memorabilia at knockdown prices, Hongqiao is the first call for many streetwise locals.

Weekend shopping at Panjiayuan Antiques and Flea Market , the "dirt market," is a must. Getting up early on Saturday or Sunday will reward those with the energy to spare. True to say, it is not an antique market but more a second-hand and antiques-imitation market, there are some really wonderful things to see, particularly if you want anything associated with the Cultural Revolution. Under a huge roof resembling an aircraft hanger, you can hunt for genuine artefacts and learn how to haggle with relish. Arts and crafts from across the country are laid out on carpets and in tiny stalls.

There are books, Chinese scrolls, and paintings. There is coral, and beads and clothes and material. One of the best parts, and what feels to be the most authentic are the hand-stitched material, clothes and headdresses from China's ethnic minorities. But for this, the prices are higher and the bargaining tougher. Do not be put off. If you walk away, she will remember your face and as luck may have, let you have that precious gift for the price you least expect!

The most experienced come as dawn breaks; follow their lead if you want to snap up the best bargains!

A seemingly endless supply of bright, vibrant, colourful Chinese clothes and cloth is the major lure at the Yashow Market.

Silk Alley, or Xiushui Silk Market, is favoured in particular by Beijing's massive expatriate community, particularly those who are on the look-out for a bargain and who are not afraid to negotiate for a discount with wily vendors who expect nothing less. If the goods sometimes seem less than the genuine thing, well... Suffice to say, bargain hunters revel in the opportunity of picking up just about any item of clothing you can imagine for a fraction of what they would expect to pay elsewhere.

Beijing Curio City, not far from Panjiayuan, brings together row after row of vendors selling Chinese art and furniture. Patient browsing can be rewarded with a great bargain.

When it comes to books, the Sanlian Bookstore is amongst the best of the bunch. This is where to find anything from heavyweight academic books to Chinese translations of popular Western books. Look out too for photo books of old Beijing amongst an impressively wide inventory.

Bibliophiles can also turn over a new page at Xidan Book Building, one of the city's most famous outlets. The only problem they face is making a choice from the Aladdin's Cave of fine reading material that surrounds them.

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