Panjiayuan MarketA ~ Z

Introducing the Panjiayuan Market

Founded in 1992, the Beijing Panjiayuan Flea Market, also called Ghost Market, is the largest, cheapest and most popular antique market in Asia. With a space of 5 hectares and over 4,000 stalls, the market mainly deals in antiques, arts, handicrafts as well as second hand goods. Also, there are many other types of goods in the market like a museum. It is a heaven for buying and appreciating antiques, traditional Chinese handicrafts, collectibles and decorations. Visitors could find calligraphy, Chinese painting, writing brushes, ivory carving, traditional Chinese musical instruments, porcelain, ancient furniture, cartoon books etc. There are also some peddlers from ethnic minorities like Hui, Mongol, Miao, Korean and Manchu, hawking their national handicrafts in the market. Actually, Panjiayuan Flea Market is becoming one of the must-go attractions in Beijing for visitors from home or aboard.

The market is divided into six sections: Roadside stands, Ancient Architecture, Classical Furniture, Modern collection, Sculpture and Stone Engraving, and the Catering section. The western part of the market is an open-air area where large stone sculptures are being sold. Next to it is a two-story building that houses both modern and traditional Chinese furniture. The vast middle section is a semi-covered area that forms the main part of the market. This section is open only on weekends with some Street Stores. At the southernmost part is a narrow lane where second-hand books, ancient scrolls and cartoon books are being sold. A wide range of other ancient arts and artifacts are on sale at stalls in the eastern part of the market in a big yard. Highest-quality antiques and exquisite handicrafts were sold in the small indoor stores in the north and east part of the market. Ever since the market opened, stalls in its semi-covered area of the middle part have been divided into four zones according to the items being sold.

Featured Spots

Porcelains and Other Handicrafts

Porcelain is absolutely the most typical Chinese craftworks showing oriental cultural features. Porcelain wares are highly appreciated by foreign visitors for their exquisite design and special styles. There are some ancient porcelain wares from hundreds of years ago with hefty price, as well as less expensive imitations sold in the market. Other craftworks, such as paper-cuts, gold or silverware, bamboo carvings, bone carvings, woven cloth, dyed cloth, embroidery, lacquer ware and teapots, can also be found in the market.

Gemstones

There are a lot of stores selling jewels and jades, in which visitors could find precious treasures, such as the Hetian Jade and nephrite, agate, amber, pearl, coral, turquoise, diamonds, ornamental stones, crystal, etc. Things sold in the individual stores in the northern part of the market have the best quality and most expensive price.

Ancient Books and Propaganda Pictures

There are many booths selling ancient books and propaganda pictures. Those pictures describe the cultural life after the foundation of the People’s Republic of China and reflect the simple and altruistic spirit of that time. Also, visitors could find Chair Mao watches and red books in English.

Calligraphies and Paintings

The market possesses rich sources of antique paintings and calligraphies, such as oil paintings, watercolor paintings, ink paintings, print-makings, sketches, decorative paintings and ancient calligraphies. A small number of them are precious original manuscripts, but most of them are cheap imitations.

Traditional Chinese Furniture

Traditional Chinese furniture requires a high-class wood-working technique, and has been highly appreciated by local wealthy people for thousands of years. The furniture is skillfully carved with vivid flowers, spirits and animal designs. There are a wide range of styles, such as Ming Dynasty Style, Qing Dynasty Style and Tibetan Style. Many of the carvings like doors, windows, cupboards and wardrobes are ideal decorations for the house with traditional Chinese characteristic.

Additional Information

Origin of Ghost Market

The Ghost Market in Beijing was also called Night Market in the past. And it’s different from the Night Market in the present day which normally starts from dusk and ends before twelve o’clock in the evening. The Night Market in the past began from the time after midnight and finished before dawn. There were several famous Night Markets in Beijing during the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), like the Dongxiaoshi in Chongwenmen; Night Market in Xuanwumen Wai; Xisohi in Deshengmen Wai and the Ghost Market in Panjiayuan. There are several explanations to the origin of the Ghost Market in Panjiayuan. The most acceptable one is that in the late Qing Dynasty, because of the turbulence of the country, a lot of the officials got bankrupted and run out of money. They had to sell some treasure left by their ancestors to make a living. And since they used to have high social statues, it was hard and quite embarrassing for them to sell something on the street during the daytime. Thus they decided to start the business before the daylight. In this way, they wouldn’t be recognized by any acquaintance when selling antiques. Since Beijing was the capital of China at that time, there used to be a lot of bankrupted officials selling antiques on the street in the middle of the night. As time went by, the street they gathered eventually evolved into the Ghost Market famous for selling antiques. In China, the senior normally call the people hanging around after midnight “Ghost”, because they think the normal human-beings should be sleeping at that time.

Opening Hours

08:30 - 17:30 (Mon. - Fri.)

04:30 - 17:30 (Weekend)

Price

Entrance Fee: Free

Address

No.18, Huaweili, Chaoyang District, Beijing

北京市朝阳区华威里18号

Distance

Downtown

Getting There

Subway:

Line 10 Panjiayuan Station Exit B

Taxi:

请带我到潘家园

(Please take me to the Panjiayuan Antique Market)

Travel Tips

It is a major dirt market in Beijing, so it is not recommended to purchase anything big

Last Updated

2018-05-04 14:25:58

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