Yabaolu

Yabaolu is a bustling street and major commercial hub in Beijing's Chaoyang District, stretching from Chaoyangmen Outer Street to Jianguomen Outer Street. The name derives from the earlier "Yaba Hutong," which literally means "Mute's Alley," and was later reworked into the more aesthetically pleasing "Street of Elegant Treasures." While the southern part is defined by the Beijing Children's Hospital and Ritan Park on the west side, the northern section has developed into an international center, often informally called "Russiatown." Here you'll find mostly traders from Russia, Poland, Ukraine, and other Eastern European countries selling their goods in large textile and merchandise markets. The shops cater heavily to foreign customers, as the Cyrillic lettering in the shop windows shows. After the Olympic Games, modern shopping centers also sprang up here, shifting the focus from wholesale to retail and turning the neighborhood into a diverse place of cultural and commercial exchange.