Markets, Beijing

4 more images

Apparently they eat everything in China. If you're out and about at night and want a quick bite, make sure to pop over to Donganmen night market. You can get anything your heart desires here - potstickers, bao, fruit, beef, chicken, testicles, silk worms, starfish, scorpions, snakes, animal penises... you know, the basics. One of the few places in the world where you can have your own personal Fear Factor. And remember, if you're man enough to eat an animal *** or two and chase it with some testicles, you'll never need viagara as it aparrently makes a man "strong like bull."

Seriously though, this is a great place to visit. A stroll down the row of stalls here is a feast for the senses and, while definitely disgusting, it has a strange sort of charm. Vendors dressed in red and white uniforms loudly pitch their goodies, which are presented in an often visually stunning, and sometimes nauseating, manner. There's also a great bonding between the visitors, Westerners and Chinese alike, some who share disgusted "ewwwwww!!!!" glances (I never realized there was an international symbol for "I'm about to vomit") and others who share that primal link that only those who have eaten weird creatures or animal parts can understand (you're likely to see a lot of high fives, knuckle pounds, and chest bumps between people with scorpion stingers hanging from their mouths).

Overall this is a very unique experience that everyone should try to see. Even if you don't have much time, its worth swinging by for a few minutes if you're in the area. Open from 6 - 9 pm.

Originally a weekend market, it is now open daily with more stalls on Saturdays and Sundays open.

There are indoor and semi-outdoor small stalls selling any "antique", books, souvenir, furniture and all the miscellaneous items sold under the name of flea market.

Bargaining is expected. It is just fun to see the variety of items sold. I was amazed to see giant television sets showing live Olympic Games coverage when I was there at the market.

1 more image

What was once an outdoor market, with a unique feel, interesting shops and architecture, is now a modern building, something quite common in the "modern" China- destroy the old for the sake of appearing new... I couldn't go in, mostly because it wasn't what I went there to see. I wanted to see the same market I visited years before. But no. Dangerous as wreckless progress can be, the Chinese move ahead full speed, building the New China- all part of the facade you'll see during the Olympics.

Two images.

1 more image

Lotus Market which was probably a very nice place in summer time as I can imagine that people are sitting on the outdoor chairs along the lake front, zipping their favorite drinks; and enjoying this nice scenery. Why am I not surprise that there is a “Starbucks” coffee here?

This is a brilliant place to pick up lots of souvenirs, especially Chinese things for the house. The market is only open on Sunday. I cannot remember where it is, but your hotel should be able to point you in the right direction. It is slightly out of the center of the city. Make sure you bargain....

2 more images

Pan Jia Yuan antique market is a big outdoor market in southeast 3rd ring road. it's crowed in weekend, all kind of antiques and old things selling there, like old book, money, etc.

There are markets in the open air in many places in Beijing, one of them offers these yummy "hotdogs" :)