 Specialty
Markets in Beijing
Antiques
and Specialty Goods in Beijing
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Shopping in Beijing
Pan Jia Yuan, also called the "dirt market" or the "weekend
market," this is China's largest and possibly its most
entertaining flea market. It operates from Sunday to
Saturday, but most people visit there at Saturdays and
Sundays, and it is located near Pan Jia Yuan bridge, on the
eastern third ring road. It begins early, around 7am in
summer and 8am in winter (4:00 am in weekend). T
he flea market includes antiques (plenty of both genuine and
fake varieties) and large sections selling modern porcelain,
jade, carved stone and wood, paintings, furniture, and other
decorative items, used books, maps, Cultural Revolution
relatives (some are copies made in recent years). There are
also sections selling Tibetan goods (mostly of low quality,
especially the paintings). Ethnic textiles from Yunnan and
Guizhou provinces are amongst the more interesting buys at
the moment. Well worth a visit, unless you are allergic to
crowds. Remember to haggle, try offer 1/3 to 1/10 of the
original price, and don't expect too much to find some
genuine antiques there (even they got such stuffs, they will
prefer sell them to their familiar customers). It
also,provides shipping service for large items to main ports
around the world.
Liulichang (stove of colored glaze) there are no stoves any
more but all antique stores, selling Chinese painting,
handicrafts, used books and other stuff. This place was the
most popular and fantastic place in old Peking, but was
closed in the 1960s. Though it was re-opened in the mid
1980s, the original fantastic stores are state-owned, no
longer attractive for local people. You can still find
interesting things here. In Chinese new year, there's a
15-day folk fair here. Liulichang is not far from subway's
Heping Men Station.
Gu Wan Cheng on the 3rd ring road, just beyond Pan Jia Yuan,
this four story white building houses the more upmarket
variety of Chinese antiques, with prices to match. The
management have been making determined efforts to stamp out
fakes and low quality items in recent years and to some
extent they have succeeded but the rule that applies to all
antique shopping in China still remains in force: let the
buyer beware.
Hong Qiao not far from the Temple of Heaven, worth visiting
for the state-run silk market but more especially for the
pearl market in the building opposite. The top two floors of
this market are filled with jewelry, and this may be the
best place in China to buy pearls, coral, turquoise, amber
and other semi-precious stones. The presence of a large
number of stalls keeps the prices fairly keen, but shop
around, keep a smile on your face and bargain hard.
Hotel shops and Department stores not the most characterful
shopping in China, but worth a look and generally less
likely but not immune from selling complete duds. The old
style of Chinese retailing is gradually being transformed by
shops with better design sense and souvenir items are
getting better each year. Silk clothing, table settings and
so on such as those sold by Emperor at Kempinski Hotel and
other spots around town, are worth a look as are porcelain,
specialty tea and other traditional items.
Carpet stores the carpet business is strong in Beijing and
you will find all manner of stores selling silk carpets and
other varieties. For Tibetan carpets try Torana Gallery at
the Kempinski Hotel, one of the few places selling carpets
that are actually made in Tibet.
There are also companies, including Chic Antique that cater
to tourists interested in buying antique Chinese furniture
during their visit to Beijing. They can organize one day
visits to warehouses located in the outskirts of the city,
as well as organizing needed restoration work, export
documents, packing and door to door shipping.
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Shopping in Beijing
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