Beijing is peppered with a handful of "markets" which aren't markets in the outdoor, casbah sense, but rather large, multistory mall-like buildings constructed on the sites of what were originally commodity-specific trade areas. These markets retain some of their individual characteristics, for instance the Pearl Market has an entire floor of pearls of every quality. The Silk Market has lots of tailors who will make a custom tailored suit for less than 200 dollars American. This market also has tons and tons of knock-off crap and Chinese paraphernalia, and are immensely fun to go to and barter. Stall tenders yell at you, promise the best price, and flatter your Chinese skills and beauty. The most fun is bartering them down to a brutally low price, then walking away and not buying it anyway. I see it as payback for trying to sell me a fake pair of Gucci boxers for 1000% markup. Here's a friend of mine, Olivia, searching for that perfect pair of Beijing Opera-style 6 inch wooden platform shoes.
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