Panjiayuan, a Treasure Hunt

Panjiayuan, a Treasure Hunt

Dubbed as the largest secondhand market in Asia, the Panjiayuan Antique Market is a must-see part of Beijing. A fascinating mix of authentic items and forgeries, Panjiayuan is a huge outdoor antiques market in Chaoyang district of Beijing, where stalls are crowded with a range of second-hand antiques, arts and crafts including bronze tripods, 1920s cigarette posters, multi-colored teapots, Buddha statues of all sizes and hue, Communist memorabilia, and even black-and-white photos discarded from Cultural Revolution-era family albums.

The name of the market means "Pan family Square" and ancient Beijing records show that the area was once the centre of a village for the Pan clan. Established initially as a flea market run by small traders in a Chaoyang hutong in 1980, it moved to its present location in 1995. Citizens of Beijing in need of money in the 1980s were the first to take artworks from their family collections to the market to sell during the weekends.

The market is divided into four zones. The southeastern portion is called Zone One by Panjiayuan's veteran patrons. Here, you will find a dizzying array of Chinese paintings, calligraphic works as well as beads and jade.


Zone Two, or the northeastern section, boasts more beads, bronze vessels, ceramic vases and small wooden furniture. This is also where one can find curios from the "Cultural Revolution" at a reasonable price.

Moving round to the southwestern part, or Zone Three, visitors are treated to a display of Chinese ethnic minority arts and crafts, trinkets, antiques and apparel.

Chinese ceramics take up most of the space in Zone Four, the northwestern section. The most important thing to know here is that most of the items aren't antiques at all. Fake ceramic makers are becoming very good at what they do, making it difficult for customers to tell the real and fake items apart.

Source: www.whatsonwhen.com, www.china.org.cn