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Hongqiao Market (Pearl Market), Beijing
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Hongqiao Market (Pearl Market), Beijing

Walking distance from this temple - Beijing
Walking distance from this temple
by dutchboycalledjan
Hongqiao Market (Pearl Market) tips, reviews and photos posted by real travelers and Beijing locals.

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• 27 Reviews

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Hongqiao Market (Pearl Market): Just about everything!
  • Tip Rating:
  • By mke1963 on September 12, 2004
  • Beijing Page by mke1963
  • Honqiao - Beijing
    Honqiao
    by mke1963
    Hongqiao is a Beijing shopping favourite, not because it is relaxed but because it has just about anything you could possibly want. However, with the recent crackdown on fake branded products, many of these are carried under the counter.
    Hongqiao is known for its pearls and there are plenty of pearl shops here: do remember that these are freshwater pearls though, which are a lower quality than saltwater pearls!
    Although the ground floor (and the basement fish stalls) are a seething mass of people al day every day, the crowds get less as you go higher up. There are some classy shops on the upper floors.
    Note that several buildings nearby are now part of an 'extended' Hongqiao and you may get better bargains there.
    There is a shop around the corner (actually behind the main Hongqiao - entrance where the car-park ramp comes out) which has vast amounts of toys, electronic games, sports goods and stationery.

    You name it, they have it. There are some nice silk tablecloths and napkins on the ground floor.
    Hongqiao is also good for binoculars.

    If you behave like a ditzy tourist, you will pay ditzy tourist prices. The trick is to know the going China rate for things, which is difficult to know unless you live here. Push hard, and walk away at least once.

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  • Theme: Other
  • Directions: Almost opposite the East Gate to the Temple of Heaven (there is a footbridge across to it).
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    Hongqiao Market (Pearl Market): Pearls and everything else
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  • agaiax
  • Updated By agaiax on September 9, 2004
  • Beijing Page by agaiax
  • Jewelery at Pearl Market - Beijing
    Jewelery at Pearl Market
    by agaiax
    Name Pearl Market is somehow misleading. This big market offers everything, from pocket knifes, copy watches, sports wear, bags, shoes to actual jewelry.
    It is somehow chaotic – but so is every market in China (the ones locals visit are even harder to pick through). On ground floor you can find some electronics, basic photo equipment, copy watches and other small stuff (pocket knives, thermos for tea…). On second floor they have shoes, women’s and men’s clothes, bags and some sporting goods – remember when bargaining - they are all fakes! At the top of the store they keep pearls, other jewelry and souvenirs (lamps, stamps, coins, kites, silk craft…).

    You can make the best deal buying pearls and copy watches (they are really cheap here, if you know how to bargain).
    For other stuff you can make a better deal on other more local markets.

    Allways BARGAIN. As low as I could get:
    better (fake nike, addidas...) shoes - 50/60 RMB
    fake bags - 40 RMB
    men's T shirts - 30 RMB
    women's shirts - 10/30 RMB
    pearls - 6 RMB for the small necklace, 30 RMB for a string of pearls
    copy watches (rolex, brightling) - 120 RMB
    copy watches (CK, DKNY, Gucci) - 30/50 RMB

    Remember, they will start with the skyhigh prices - don't get discouraged - BARGAIN!

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  • Theme: Jewelry
  • Directions: North or East Gate of the Temple of Heaven, big red brick building.
  • Not Helpful 1 2 3 4 5 Very Helpful
    Hongqiao Market (Pearl Market): Genuine copies
  • Tip Rating:
  • MickeH
  • By MickeH on September 30, 2005
  • Beijing Page by MickeH
  • Accually not from there, but close enough... - Beijing
    Accually not from there, but
    close enough...
    by MickeH
    At the pearl market you will shop 'til you drop. Clothes, shoes, watches, DVD's, silks, pearls, electronics... And almost everything is genuine copies.
    But the quality is good and the price is right.
    If you know how to bargain for it that is. And bargain you must. For absolutley everything.

    The whole place have three stories jam packed with everything you never knew you wanted.
    But even you you didn't know it yourself, you can be sure that the salespersons know.
    And they will let you know it. Try to walk by a stall and they will grab something, anything, and try to convince you that this is what's missing in your life. Some will even grab your arm to make sure you will come look at their goods.

    Loads of good deals can be made here, and if you like to shop, no not miss it!

    Buy clothes, lots and lots of clothes.
    But everything is available here so you don't have to limit yourself to anything.

    Depends on you bargaining success.

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  • Theme: Other
  • Directions: Just east of Temple of Heaven park.
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    Hongqiao Market (Pearl Market): Pearls before Pigs
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  • anders1975
  • By anders1975 on February 19, 2005
  • Beijing Page by anders1975
  • Five storey building with everything you need. In the basement there's a food market - not a food court - the ground floor offers you electronics and luggage, on the first floor you'll find clothing for men and women, the second floor is filled with clothes, antiques and pearls, the same on the third, but mostly antiques and cheap freshwater pearls here and on the fourth you'll find exlusive pearl stores where even Bill Clinton, Tony Blair and Mrs Putin have been photographed shopping (or maybe just looking). It's an old indoor market place, but we found the clothes cheaper here than on Yachow (new)market.

    Pearls, I guess. But we went for sports gear like Canadian Goose and North Face outfits.

    It's all about bargaining, but I bought one Canadian Goose jacket, one North Face jeans for skiing and a North Face jacket for 610 RMB. Initially they asked 900 RMB for a jacket. If I just wanted one piece I think I could get it for 250 RMB.

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  • Theme: Gifts
  • Directions: Close to Temple of Heaven, Chongwen District
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    Hongqiao Market (Pearl Market): Pearl market
  • Tip Rating:
  • Sally_chen
  • Updated By Sally_chen on May 24, 2004
  • Beijing Page by Sally_chen
  • I paid only RMB80 for this necklace?I - Beijing
    I paid only RMB80 for this
    necklace?I
    by Sally_chen
    It's another market I like , but mainly for pearl shopping . This is a 3-4 story building right in front of Tian Tan park, quite central located.
    They have also those stuff as YA XIU has. Some antique also good here but a bit expensive.
    They have extremely nice girls selling pearl , most of them are bilingual or multilingual . No worry for the language when bargain.
    The worst is to get help by calculator!

    My boss said we will have good business if our sales staff are as good as these girls!

    Pearl is the speciality of this market. These are sweet water pear from southern China provinces. These girls are very skillful and doing things very quick. They can re-make the pear necklace/bracelet as the design you like. Just tell them what you want!
    The qulity is not bad general speaking, people like to bring them back to their country for the cheap price and not bad quality . It's the perfect gift from China!

    The bargaining skill : reference to "YA XIU"

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  • Theme: Other
  • Directions: Close to TIAN TAN PARK
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    Hongqiao Market (Pearl Market): Best place to buy Souvenirs
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  • honestjohn
  • Updated By honestjohn on June 7, 2005
  • Beijing Page by honestjohn
  • The Red Bridge Market is a very big store for the tourist to buy souvenir, antiques, and other interesting stuff. Even the local resident like to go shopping here. The former president of US, Bill Clinton, visited the market when visiting China.

    souvenir, antique, silk, pearl

    It depends what you buy. My advice: when you bargain, offer at least 50% discount when buy antiques.

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  • Theme: Antiques
  • Directions: when you get out of the Temple of Heaven from the east gate, look to your left-front side, you will see the red bridge market, a 5-floor building.
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    Hongqiao Market (Pearl Market): Almost of everything
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  • ahoerner
  • Updated By ahoerner on June 5, 2004
  • Beijing Page by ahoerner
  • Pearl Market in Beijing. - Beijing
    Pearl Market in Beijing.
    by ahoerner
    Another fleamarket with almost of everything... including pearls.

    A great variety of fakes and also souvenirs. You find also cheap electronics.

    It worths to visit at least one of these markets in Beijing.

    Bargain always! Normally prices are to be 30-40% of the asked ones.

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  • Theme: Department Store
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    Hongqiao Market (Pearl Market): pearls in my pockets...
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  • angelochka
  • Updated By angelochka on June 21, 2007
  • Beijing Page by angelochka
  • when it's huge, looks pretty strange... - Beijing
    when it's huge, looks pretty
    strange...
    by angelochka
    the shop is huge, very wide choice of pearls, they also show you how to extract pearls from the shell, how many pearls you can find in it, what colors, how to be sure these are real pearls and not some plastic...very important indeed! the girl whom told me all this offered a handful of pearls coming just from a fresh new shell, i didnt know where to put all of them, so i put them in my coat's pocket and from time to time giving them to friends...just occasionally saying..hey! dont you want some pearls:) sometimes they fall from my pocket on the ground...

    i bought earrings and had a bracelet as a gift, sure i would buy more if i wouldnt have bought pearls in Shanghai a year ago..so i stopped myself:)

    different prices starting from 5$ till...??? but if you take a lot you always get something for free

  • Theme: Jewelry
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    Hongqiao Market (Pearl Market): Kites for kids and big boys
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  • Saagar
  • By Saagar on June 2, 2004
  • Beijing Page by Saagar
  • Many of the stalls in the Honqqui Market (the Pearl market is on the second floor here) have kites for sale. Great things to bring home for the children or yourself, if, like me, you are a big boy!
    More fancy kites can probably be bought at specialist kite shops, but I have never searched for them. On Tienanmen square you will be accosted by kite flyers that want you to buy their kites. Some of the kites look really good, so why not, but bargain hard.

    The cost less than 50Y for the smaller ones and up.

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  • Theme: Toys and Games
  • Directions: Honqqui market is at the north-east corner of the Tientan (Temple of Heaven) park.
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    Hongqiao Market (Pearl Market): Market for clothes, sporting goods and so on...
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  • tremendopunto
  • By tremendopunto on May 12, 2005
  • Beijing Page by tremendopunto
  • If you are looking for cheap clothes, technical equipment and fakes you should try the HONGQIAO market which is inside a big building with three or four storeys. It is situated closer to the Temple of Heaven. From there it is easy to reach.

    Not only pearls - clothes, sport clothes, technical equipment, too. Everything which is possible to fake!

    It all depends on your own bargain skills;-)

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  • Theme: Men's Clothes
  • Not Helpful 1 2 3 4 5 Very Helpful
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