Beijing: Panjiayuan Antique Market

This Must visit antique market is known under many names: weekend market, Sunday market, antique market, flea market and some call it the 'dirt market'. The Chinese name is Panjiayuan market and it is not only on Sundays, even not only on weekends and it is not dirty at all. Last Saturday morning when our son went to school, we had that desire to browse once again that huge market of thousands of treasures (on about 45 thousand sqm).
I have taken my new 'toy' and made some pictures to share:

Porcelain and Shanghai poster girl in front of an antique shop

Chairman Mao and military stuff (I hope the hand grenades are fake)

Brushes for Chinese calligraphy and painting

Chinese cyclist in traffic jam from sheet metal

Browsing is part of the fun

'The difference between crap and treasure is luck, hard work and arriving early.', says the Beijing LUXE city guide.

Find more pictures and map and an American Journalist about Beijing's Dirt (cheap) Market.

Part of the market is open every day, but the real thing happens on Saturdays and Sundays from about 7am to 5pm at the 3rd ring road East. Every taxi in town knows the market.

Remark:
Ask your concierge to write the destination in Chinese language for the taxi driver. And even more important: make sure you have the address of your accommodation in Chinese language otherwise you might not find your way back.

Photo Source: all mine !