Beijing Shopping Tips by Confucius

Name of Shop: Panjiayuan Market

For many tourists to Beijing the Panjiayuan Market is a must see activity. Try to go there on a Saturday or Sunday if you are planning an itinerary for Beijing. I promise you that it's worth your extra time if you need one more day to make this feasible.
Panjiayuan is simply the best and biggest bazaar in Beijing. It has something for everybody from antiques to furniture and art as well as books and baubles. Even if you don't have any money left to buy something, Panjiayuan is still an entertaining place to browse and see interesting things. Photographers will find amusing subjects as well, especially the ethnic minorities selling their wares while dressed in their local costumes.
I promise you will see something there that makes you smile, and that's makes it a relaxing getaway if you or somebody in your company is not so interested in shopping.

What To Buy: All kinds of souvenirs are available for sale. There are reproductions from the late Qing dynasty as well as real stuff from the Cultural Revolution era (1966- 1976).
Here is a sample of items I recall from memory: replica antique furniture, old books and maps, jade, old coins, swords, musical instruments, porcelain figurines, shadow puppets, Peking opera dolls, baskets, calligraphy, political propaganda posters, clay teapots, antique tin toys, Tibetan and other ethnic handicrafts, textiles, and trinkets from southwest China. The list goes on and on.
There also appears to be many replicas of the famous Sanxingdui bronze artifacts, a famous archeological site that was discovered near Chengdu in 1986.
The best buys are found among the Cultural Revolution items where authenticity is not likely to be an issue but you still must bargain hard for a fair price. I made the mistake of admiring one particular propaganda poster too much and the price skyrocketed after exhibiting excessive enthusiasm.

**UPDATE**
For people who are interested in looking at more photos of Panjiayuan and seeing what's available there, please visit VT member y_lyn's outstanding Panjiayuan album:
y_lyn

What To Pay: Thousands of foreign tourists and Beijing residents descend on Panjiayuan every weekend, so the rule for bargaining here is the same that I discussed on my Tunxi page.
Panjiayuan merchants love to quote prices in denominations of a hundred yuan to see if foreigners bite the bait. There are few things at Panjiayuan worth more than 100 RMB, so bring your best bargaining skills. The market is always crowded, so it also helps to eavesdrop on what other people are paying for similar items especially if you understand Chinese. The best deals are made in the afternoon when hawkers are just beginning to pack, so try to remember where you saw that propaganda poster that you simply MUST have for your dormitory wall.

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Theme: Antiques
Phone: 6775 2405
Directions: Southeast Beijing near the Panjiayuan bridge
(east of Longtan Park)