麻豆约拍

Open-air markets are still popular places to buy fruit and vegetables because of their freshness and variety. Often, stall keepers will use finger counting to indicate the price of their produce - handy for foreigners who don't understand Chinese. At the other end of the scale, Beijing has many exclusive boutiques for the discerning professional. Western fashion labels have infiltrated the market. But a Chinese designer tells us about her collection of garments which merge Eastern motifs and Western tastes. She takes inspiration from the beautiful colours and motifs of brocades from the imperial court, as well as from Tibetan and Buddhist decoration.