Beijing's famous outdoor Silk Alley is set to be demolished and moved to an indoor site. 

Beijing's famous outdoor Silk Alley, stacked with fake brand name goods, is set to be demolished and moved to an indoor site because of concerns over fire dangers.

The Xiushui market, as it is referred to by Chinese, is one of Beijing's most popular tourist destinations, drawing crowds of up to 20,000 people at weekends to search out cheap fake designer shoes, coats and bags.

But its fate has been under a cloud since authorities decided the narrow thoroughfare was a fire risk.

A decision now appears to have been made to knock it down, although an exact date for the demolition has not been set.

The area where the market is located, near the equally famous Friendship Store, which is itself under threat of closure, will be turned into a street to ease the increasingly grindlocked traffic along Chang'an Avenue.

Reports say it will be moved to a new indoor building over eight stories that can accomodate 1,000 stalls.

(Xinhua News Agency June 19, 2004)