Beijing Shopping Panjiayuan Antique MarketBeijing Shopping,Beijing Shopping Tips,Beijing Shopping Guide
Panjiayuan market is located on the south side of Panjiayuan Lu, just inside the southeast corner of the Third Ring Road. It is Beijing's biggest and best-known arts, crafts, and antiques market.
This Antique Market is the Chinese shopping experience of dreams: row upon crowded row of calligraphy, jewelry, ceramics, teapots, ethnic clothing, Buddha statues, paper lanterns, Cultural Revolution memorabilia, PLA belts, little wooden boxes, Ming- and Qing-style furniture, old pipes, opium scales, and painted human skulls. The market is also known as the Dirt or Ghost Market. There are some real antiques scattered among the junk, but you'd have to be an expert to pick them out. Locals arrive Saturday and Sunday mornings at dawn or shortly after (hence the "ghost" label) to find the best stuff; vendors start to leave around 4pm. Initial prices given to foreigners are always absurdly high -- Mao clocks, for instance, should cost less than ¥40 ($5) rather than the ¥400 ($50) you'll likely be asked to pay. Handily located just south of Panjiayuan on the west side of Huawei Qiao, Curio City (Guwan Cheng; tel. 010/6774-7711) boasts four floors of jewelry (including diamonds and jade), old clocks, cloisonne, furniture, and porcelain, as well as curios and the odd genuine antique. International shipping is provided. Curio City is open daily from 9:30am to 6:30pm.
Art lovers and collectors can easily spend hours perusing the endless stalls where traditional and contemporary local artists display their wares. In addition to artwork and antiques there are countless other shops and stalls, many of which are makeshift, selling jewelry, beads, home décor, shoes, art supplies and every other Chinese curio or knick-knack imaginable. There is also a huge selection of Buddhist statues and artwork that is usually found in Beijing’s many temples.
The Panjiayuan market opens very early on Saturday and Sunday mornings and starts winding down around 3pm. If you are looking for a real treasure of a find, then try to arrive early to beat out other knowledgeable antique shoppers. Even if you walk away empty-handed (unlikely), the bustle and atmosphere of Panjiayuan is an experience in itself, so be sure to pay a visit. There are some real antiques scattered among the junk, but you'd have to be an expert to pick them out.
