The outcome is proof that this collection of alleys off Jianguomen Avenue in the embassy district can thrive without counterfeit products.

The Municipal Industrial and Commercial Administration of Beijing barred sales of fake-brand clothes on May 10.

Overseas tourists love the market almost as much as they enjoy visits to the Forbidden City and the Great Wall. Yet for a long time, the key attraction was fake and cheap overseas brands such as Boss, Nike and Adidas.

"Of course, we still can earn money by selling other clothes," said Ah Si, a young shop owner in the market.

"Instead of fake-brand clothes, we can sell traditional Chinese clothes that sell well these days," he said.

Clothes with Chinese styles are now a mainstay.

Some customers said they did not notice the absence of fake famous brands.

"It always changes, and that is why I like about the market,"said Judy Douglas, an Australian student, who bought silk pajamas with dragons and phoenixes on them.

"I know some clothes sold here are counterfeit, but they are cheap so I like them," Douglas said. "But I like these traditional Chinese clothes far more than those fake ones."

But some dealers are worried about the fate of their business as a result of the ban.

"Without global brands, we have nothing to sell," a shoes dealer said.

The market generates about 1 million yuan (US$120,000) per day in sales, according to the local tax administration.

The ban on fake goods may shrink that figure, but it is believed that a healthier market environment may help dealers earn more in the future.

(Business Weekly 05/15/2001)