Panjiayuan Market, Beijing

A donde quiere que se lo llevemos ?
La ventaja de este mercado es que a los extremos tienen especialistas que te pueden embalar y enviar todo lo que compres a cualquier lugar del mundo , así que ya no tienes disculpas

Where do you want we carry it ?
The advantage of this market is that at the ends of the market there are specialists that can wrap and send everything you buy anywhere in the world, so you do not longer have any excuses

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Este mercado de antiguedades está abierto toda la semana pero los fines de semana es cuando está más animado y se instalan los vendedores en los puestos alrededor del mercado
Tanto si sólo vas a ver como si vas a comprar merece la pena conocerlo por su tamaño , por las maravillas y curiosidades que tiene y por la gente tan curiosa de todas las etnias que hay en China , que se dan aquí cita para vender sus recuerdos , curiosidades y antigüedades
Se pueden conseguir buenos precios , tan buenos o mejores que los que se consiguen en en los distintos sitios de China


This antiques market is open all week but on weekends it is when is more lively and sellers are installed in stalls around the market
Whether you are just going to see how if you go to buy , it worthy a visit to know it for its size, by the wonders and curiosities that you may see and the curious people of all ethnic groups in China, which are together here to sell their memories , curious and antiques
You may get good prices , as good as those that you get in the different parts of China

Panjiayuan Market, in Chinese is pan1 jia1 yuan2 jiu4 huo4 shi4 chang3.

The Beijing Panjiayuan Folk Culture Market (or the Panjiayuan Antiques Market) is a very popular and colorful market and opens everyday (the best days are Saturdays and Sundays).

It covers an area of 4.85 hectares and is situated in No. 200 West of Panjiayuan Bridge and south of the East Third Ring Road (between Panjiayuan Bridge and Huawei Bridge), in the Chaoyang district.

If you especially like antiques and collectibles and also arts and crafts, this is the right place to go. I can assure you won’t get bored as there are about 3,000 stalls to visit. This market is not only the China's biggest collecting and distributing center of art and craft articles but also the largest of Asia. Its merchandises are known for being the cheapest of its kind in Beijing as well.

What makes this market so interesting?

Anything unimaginable you can imagine you will be able to find here.
What makes it really interesting is the (Chinese) traditional cultural aspect. In the ethnic section you will see nice items ‘imported’ from almost all parts of China since most of the stallholders are people who come from their villages, towns, ethnic minorities to sell their goods in this market.

Should I bargain?
You must bargain down the offered price.

What to pay: From a few bucks to several hundreds, it has a lot to do with your bargaining skills.

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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This is not really A shop.. it's ALOT of shops!!! hahahaha....

It's a whole market where little nick-nacks / figurines and some antiques also if you at searching!!!

It's really quite fun digging in to all the stuff!!!

Personally i think this should not only be a SHOPPING tip.. i think it's really a sight on it's own!! haahahah

It really amazes me how much the locals read and embrace the cultural importance....

What to buy: Little Mao Figurines. hehehe.. They are really quite cute

Also if i you are a collector, there are some pretty good tribal costumes too.. but do expect to pay a good price for it!!

If you have a sudden need for Chinese antiques then Panjiayuan is the place to satisfy your desire. Over 3000 dealers glare their wares on an open courtyard selling all kinds of goods from the yesteryear. There's hardly one thing that you can't get that smells ancient at Panjiayuan even though some goods may be fake. Bargaining is another thing and while there's no guideline for doing it right, keep in mind that old doesn't always mean expensive. On weekends is the best time to experience the full force of the market although that also means having to share your space with a horde of other people.

What to buy: From dodgy ancient coins to 1980s books.

Panjiayuan Market is overflowing with Stuff. I couldn't believe how much Stuff you could potentially buy in this market. I especially liked buying pottery teapots and artworks.

Be sure you bargain hard. Bring a small calculator with you, to calculate how much you are paying in your currency, and to show the shop owner how much you want to pay.
Don't be afraid to walk away if you don't want to pay the price they are asking. You can always go back or find it at a different stall. Many times, you can pretend to walk away and they will re-negotiate a lower price with you. If someone offers you something at 150 RMB, offer 20 RMB. Settle for 40-50 RMB. The mark-up is really that ridiculous in the markets.

What to buy: Antiques, nick-nacks, pottery cups/teapots, Chinese art, wall-hangings, wooden carvings, jade (mostly fake in the markets)...

Panjiayuan is known as a flea market. Part of this market is open everyday and the other part will only open on Saturday and Sunday.

What to buy: There are a lot of second hand books as well as antiques (fake and real). Local and ethnic art crafts can be found. This is quite entertaining as the market is pretty large.
Of course, do not forget to bargain...