Joys of finding a near-empty mall in the middle of Beijing

As part of a generation which grew up when malls first exploded on the scene, the weeks and months in Beijing have been spent going from one to another in the city to kill time during the weekend.

Before the intrusion of a virus, which must not be named (with apologies to Harry Potter), we would go to the usual spots to take in the local shopping and dining scene.

The choices for expats would be the block of buildings in Sanlitun and the winding steps snaking around Solana.