Tianyu Market is the latest victim of Beijing’s urban restructuring plan that has seen dozens of downtown-area Beijing markets get shut down by municipal authorities.

The management company responsible for Tianyu Market announced Wednesday that the market will close down for good on Dec 31 of this year, waiving rental and management fees until then as storekeepers try to find alternative locations.

The closing of Tianyu Market signals a broadening of the range of downtown markets targeted by municipal authorities. Located west of Jinsong Station on Line 10 and south of Guangqumennei Station on Line 7, just north of Tuanjiehu Park, Tianyu Market is situated further away from the Second Ring Road than other markets that have been shut down.

Having served its community for a generation, Tianyu Market was well-known as a place to purchase live fish, toys, Christmas-related products as well as a good place to find a Halloween costume.

This year has seen a number of Beijing markets get shut down but not before offering deals for bargain-hunters in well-received clearance sales. Recently shuttered Beijing markets include Ladies’ Street Market, Tianyi Market, Wantong Market, Alien Street Market, and Beijing Zoo Market.

Contrary to its welcoming message, Beijing doesn’t necessarily want its visitors to stay. To fight overcrowding, city authorities have been cracking down on illegal structures and wholesale markets to order to persuade “out-of-towners” to leave the city, hoping to reduce its population by as much as 15 percent.

This year has also seen a severe crackdown on Beijing’s hutong neighborhoods, affecting a number of favorite expat bars, restaurant, and shops. As if to address the city’s sudden lack of quaint communities, Beijing introduced a new tourist cultural center in its Silk Market this past summer that promises a “one-stop immersive experience.”

As Beijing continues to knock down neighborhood markets, the city is replacing them with alternatives that imply traditions older than they look. Reurbanization efforts will restyle Fuchengmen in a neo-classical style, while local restaurants team up with Beijing amusement parks to build “old-style experience streets” that feature new buildings that look old.

More stories from this author here.

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E-mail: charlesliu1@qq.com

Images: BJ News, Dianping

As seen on Beijing Mamas: TreeHouse Family Cafe and Playground is holding a closing sale at Sanlitun SOHO (not at their former location) to get rid of some furniture and other items. The play center and cafe closed abruptly two weeks ago.

A partial list of items was posted on Beijing Mamas, including:

• Three blue and white baby safe gates (RMB 200 each)
• A handmade wooden, wall-mounted children’s cuckoo club (RMB 400)
• An HP Photosmart C4388 all-in-one printer, scanner, and copier (RMB 200)

Photo by Lova

Summer break means that most foreign families living in Shunyi go home or on vacation. But services continue to be available for locals as well as those who choose to stay in Beijing over the next two months. Construction is also happening at break-neck speed, so we can expect to see a lot of new businesses popping up in the near future.

Staying in Shape with CrossFit
Keeping fit is fun and easy with CrossFit Beijing. A challenging circuit training program with a variety of activities is drawn up for people who want to get fit or stay fit. The main idea behind CrossFit is that your muscles perform one range of motion for a short period of time and quickly shift to another movement. In this way, your body is constantly kept busy and you do not jeopardize correct form due to fatigue. If it feels a little like boot camp, that’s because it is; CrossFit attempts to turn your body into a lean, mean fat-burning machine.

The Shunyi branch of CrossFit Beijing gets participants to focus hard on their training. Housed in a quiet part of the PGA Golf compound, the gym is in a brick and glass structure with big windows that look out onto a small wooded area. The interiors are clean, with posters all around reminding you of gym etiquette and motivating you to keep your mojo

Class schedule: Mon-Fri 6-7am, 9-10am, 10-11am, 6-7pm, 7-8pm; Sat 8-9am, 9-10am, 10-11am. Check the website for prices and details.

Gold River PGA Golf School, Pinnacle Plaza, Tianzhu, Shunyi District (186 1262 8095, samuel.lian@crossfit-china.cn) 顺义区天竺日祥广场金色河畔高尔夫球培训学校

Openings and Closings
There are several new enterprises coming up in the ISB/Yosemite area. The previously-mentioned Tasty’s, a fruit and vegetable mini-market, and a framer are now open for business. Now, their neighbors are getting ready to do business, too; a car wash and a real estate agent are setting up shop.

The former Oasis restaurant across from Gahood Villas still is being transformed – into what business, no one can tell just yet. It looks like it may take a few more months before we see whether it will in fact become a BMW dealership, as rumor has it.

At Pinnacle Plaza, construction has been steadily going on at the end nearest to Euro Plaza. This is a small stand-alone building with no telltale signs of what it might become. Guesses have ranged from restaurant to a spa or beauty salon.

Euro Plaza’s fifth floor is gearing up to be a kids’ paradise. Aside from Clare Music Studio, a go-to for music lessons, there is VivaXiao. This frequent beijingkids collaborator is a combination children’s salon and photography studio specializing in families. If your young ones don’t feel like shopping, there is the paid play area with clean facilities and a sand pit in the hallway for more tactile play. A huge section is now being renovated as an academic and creative center for children. Stay tuned for more details.

A recent visit to the Beijing Riviera branch of Jenny Lou’s has revealed that very few shops have stood the test of time. Aside from the street-level businesses (a grocery store, Annie’s, the pet shop, and real estate and travel agencies), the shops don’t seem to be faring too well. A few places on the second floor have, however, remained open: Comptoirs de France, Zen Yue, the lady with the toy store, Kippandan boutique for women’s wear, the computer shop, the fruit and vegetable mini-market, and Black Tiger Fight Club.

Other venues have closed down, with no signs of replacement businesses coming in. First to go nearly a year ago was Catherine de France salon. Since then, the building has also lost the DVD shop, a branch of Chen Hao furniture, two restaurants, and several small service shops. With each closure, we can’t help but wonder whether the owner is preparing for major renovation; half the space remains empty. It feels awfully quiet on the second floor and we can only hope that our favorites stick around for a bit longer.

Photo by Dana Cosio-Mercado

Dana is the beijingkids Shunyi Correspondent. Originally from the Philippines, she moved to Beijing in 2011 (via Europe) with her husband, two sons and Rusty the dog. She enjoys writing, photography, theater, visual arts, and trying new food. In her free time, she can be found exploring the city and driving along the mountain roads of Huairou, Miyun and Pinggu.