Apple Store Beijing to open July 19

Ah, OK - yes, Sanlitun was definitely relatively out of the way in 2001 unless you were an embassy employee, but a lot has changed since then - particularly with the massive growth of the Central Business District to the east and south of the area. The general awfulness of the area hasn't changed much since then in my opinion, but it remains popular among expats and locals with too much money and not enough taste alike.

Rhywun - depends on when you were last in town, but you might not recognize the place now. It's still a bar street, but the more egregious offenders have all been cleared out, and it's recently gotten a new infusion of high-end shopping malls. Not exactly my idea of fun, but I'm sure some will like it. Sanlitun's hardly out of the way, though - in fact, it's quite central, smack between the old center of the city and the central business district to the east. It'll eveb be more easily accessible by subway, once the new line opens this month.
That said, the environment for the Qianmen store will probably be a good deal nicer.

> the Sanlitun-based store will open on July 19

I hear that neighborhood's been "cleaned up"... When I visited a few years ago it was wall-to-wall bars, American men, and hookers. And it's kind of out of the way, isn't it?

The second store seems like a much better location.

Go check the Apple Beijing Store photos here:
http://www.macx.cn/a/a.asp?b=4000&ID=610686
http://www.macx.cn/a/a.asp?B=4000&ID=610830

Go check the official report from Apple China website:
http://www.apple.com.cn/retail

This is the first Apple store in China, the second one will be open in the end of this year in Beijing, that one will be 3000 meter square! and that's the Apple Asia flag ship store!!