Lai Tai - Lady Street: New Laitai flower market

The new Laitai flower market is one of the biggest non-clothes markets on the east side of Beijing, although yu can find plenty of clothes in the huge underground market below it!
Lai Tai is a good place for particulary cold days, as the huge range of flowers, plants and orchids is interesting, even if you are not buying.
At the back of the building, and on the right hand side, there are about 20 shops selling aquariums and aquarium equipment.

Note that the best area for cut-flowers - at cut rate prices - is hidden away behnd those aquarium shops in a long hall running along the northern side of the building.
The Chinese love their flowers and love their aquariums, so this is a good place to see Beijing people haggling over the prices of both. It's certainly a good couple of hours people-watching!
Note that the ol, smaller Lai Tai still exists behind Durty Nellies on the south side of the Liangmahe, opposite the Lufthansa Centre.

Orchids, house plants, cut flowers, outdoor plants (at the southern side), and fish - for watching, not eating.
Some of the more esoteric species here include huge discus fish, sharks, jellyfish, rays and lionfish.

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