Arty Farty
Gentrified shopping area of Liulichang(meaning "glazed tile factory")is accessed through the maze of hutongs west of Tiananmen Square. It was restored in the 1980's to it's original style and is home to all sorts of "antiques" and kitsch curios, but also some great shops with old books and art and calligraphy supplies. It derives it's name from a number of kilns that used to operate in the area during the Ming Dynasty. They provided the masses of glazed tiles that were required for the palaces and halls being built in the Imperial Palace.
For centuries China stood as a leading civilization, outpacing the rest of the world in the arts and sciences, but in the 19th and early 20th centuries, the country was beset by civil unrest, major famines, military defeats, and foreign occupation. A... ... read more 
