Bye Now: Beijing's Largest Remaining Central Electronics Market Bainaohui to Close in June

Bainaohui AKA Buy Now, arguably central Beijing's best electronics market and one of the last remaining markets to not have been banished past the capital's Second Ring Road, will close on Jun 9.

The news comes just a month after the Dongdaqiao-adjacent electronics emporium celebrated its 10th anniversary. While news of the closure is a disappointing development, the market has had a great innings, all things considered.

The market underwent sizeable renovations in 2015, causing many to fear that their go-to cellphone fixer guy would be banished to deep, dark Hebei or beyond. Luckily, those fears were unfounded and the market kept on with its pushy laptop salespeople downstairs, who were merely an obstacle to the hardworking, and very sleepy, soldering soldiers and C-list computer hackers above.

A combination of the drastic redevelopment of Beijing's central areas coupled with the government's efforts to reduce and cap the city's population has meant that wholesale markets were the first in the crosshairs.

Unfortunately, as with many other physical electronic stores of its ilk, Bainaohui struggled to compete with the reduced prices of the online marketplace, and convenience of ordering parts and services online, which now go as far as allowing you to summon an electronics repairman right to your door. It is rumored that a furniture store will eventually take Bainaohui's place.

Anyone looking for a cheap screen replacement or a Windows crack will now have to travel to either 258 Electronic Market on Maizidian or to the far from convenient tech hub of Zhongguancun. So if you're looking for one last fix, we'd recommend heading over ASAP as the majority of merchants have already shipped out.

READ: Which Beijing Wholesale Markets Are Still Standing?

Photos: Kyle Mullin