When you ask for a great place to get old books, antiques, jade articles, folk costumes, Chinese coins, porcelains, and the like, most people will direct to Panjiayuan Folk Culture Market—it’s the largest flea market in China and probably East Asia. Operating seven days a week, the market opens its doors early: usually 7 a.m. in the summer, 8 a.m. in the winter, and 4:00 a.m. on the weekends. The flea market includes antiques (both genuine and reproductions), modern porcelain, jade, carved stone and wood, paintings, furniture, used books, maps, and more. Ethnic textiles from Yunnan and Guizhou provinces are amongst the more interesting buys at the moment. As at other Beijing markets, haggling is a must: experienced bargainers offer from 1/3 to 1/10 of the first price to be quoted. Unless you really know about antiques, you should be aware that most of the antiques offered are copies: usually, you need to build a relationship with a vendor before he or she will bring out the real items. Overseas shipping is also available for large items or large quantities.
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