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Where to buy antiques in Beijing |
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Panjiayuan Antiques Market  From its humble
beginnings as an makeshift flea market in the early 1990's, Panjiayuan has
grown to become the largest antiques and arts and crafts centers in all
of China, with over 3,000 registered stallholders, 10,000 employees and
up to 50,000 visitors on a busy day. Whether you intend to indulge in your
penchant for Cultural Revolution kitsch, pick up some cheap chinoiserie
for friends back home or look for that elusive Ming vase, this is the best
place to be.
Tel: 6775-2405 Address: Just west of the east Third Ring Road, between Panjiayuan Bridge and Huawei Bridge. Hours: Saturday and Sunday, 4:30 am-5 pm. It starts winding down around 3 pm. Get there early to beat the crowds.
With four floors of shopping madness, Hongqiao is the great democratizer of Chinese shopping, drawing out all types of tourists and locals and uniting under the great umbrella consumerism. The basement is a treasure trove of animate and inanimate foodstuffs, a goldmine for local restaurateurs and for those who simply prefer to buy live crabs in bulk. Above, there are electronics and appliances (ground floor); purses (second floor); suitcases, shoes, jewelry, cloisonne, porcelain, jade, Buddhas, teapots and the illustrious and incomparable pearl market (third floor). Incredible deals can be had here, with a pair of real pearl earrings going for as little as 15 yuan. Both Panjiayuan and Hongqiao have their devotees - people who make a near-religious pilgrimage every week - just to keep abreast of the latest offerings. Once you've been you'll understand why. Tel: 6711-7429, 6711-7499 Address: 16 Hongqiao Lu (across from the east gate of the Temple of Heaven), Chongwen District. Hours: 8:30 am-7 pm |
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 Copyright
2001 By China Daily Information. All rights reserved. |
Most
of the market is housed in a large open-sided canvas-roofed construction,
with rows of goods arranged on the floor and tables inside. Several rows
are dedicated to porcelain products of every size and shape. There is
a bewildering array of jade pendants and bracelets, and to the right is
a large selection of scrolls, calligraphy and artwork. Further to the
right are books in English, French, Russian and Chinese, some published
in the 1950s. In the back are several stalls specializing in carved wooden
Buddhist statues and roughly in the centre is an area where the sellers
of Tibetan artifacts congregate. Near them vendors sell a good selections
of textiles, paper puppets and metal-framed lanterns. Scattered throughout
is an astoundingly diverse collection of miscellany that includes everything
from Mao memorabilia and PLA surplus equipment to old radios and gramophones,
musical instruments, calligraphy tools, Chinese chess sets, swords, coins
and medals. 
Hongqiao
Market