Panjiayuan Antique Market (Panjiayuan Cultural Park)

Panjiayuan Antique Market (Panjiayuan Cultural Park)

Panjiayuan Antique Market (Panjiayuan Cultural Park) is a national AAA-level tourist attraction.

Attraction Introduction

The calligraphy is by An Xunsheng, currently the Deputy Secretary of the Beijing Chaoyang District Committee. Panjiayuan is also known as the "Ghost Market." The origin of the term "Ghost Market" dates back to the late Qing Dynasty and early Republican era. At that time, as the nation declined, many high-ranking officials and wealthy families fell on hard times and resorted to secretly taking antiques from their homes to sell on the streets. Since this was considered somewhat disreputable, they could only trade under the cover of darkness, around three or four in the morning, using lanterns. "Old-timer Huo, who has been vending here for years, recalls with emotion, 'Back in the day, the Ghost Market also saw the sale of items with dubious origins. Because they carried untold secrets, most had to be sold at very low prices. That’s how the rumor of ‘good stuff comes out at the Ghost Market’ started.' Although vendors no longer need to hide or operate in secrecy, the tradition of opening at 4 a.m. has been preserved. From imitation antique furniture, the four treasures of the study, ancient books and paintings, agate and jade artifacts, both Chinese and foreign currencies, shadow puppets and opera masks, religious relics, ethnic costumes, relics from the Cultural Revolution, and even everyday items—apart from weapons and people—anything of value you can think of is displayed and sold here."

Beijing Panjiayuan Antique Market is located at the southeastern corner of Beijing's Third Ring Road and is the largest antique market in the country. Shops and vendors in Zones One and Two are open Monday through Friday, while all shops and outdoor stalls are open on weekends, operating year-round. The market is situated southwest of Panjiayuan Bridge on South East Third Ring Road in Beijing, covering an area of 48,500 square meters. It is divided into six business areas: outdoor stalls, antique architecture, classical furniture, modern collectibles, stone carvings, and food services. The market mainly deals in antique items, handicrafts, collectibles, and decorations, with annual transactions reaching hundreds of millions of yuan. It hosts over 4,000 vendors, employing nearly 10,000 people, 60% of whom come from 28 provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions outside Beijing, representing more than ten ethnic groups including Han, Hui, Manchu, Miao, Dong, Uyghur, Mongolian, and Korean. Established in 1992 alongside the rise of folk antique and art trading, the market has grown into a large-scale, classic-style hub for spreading folk culture.

Panjiayuan Antique Market is the most popular antique market in China. Its permanent shops are open 365 days a year, while outdoor stalls operate every weekend. Weekend visitor numbers can reach 60,000–70,000, including nearly 10,000 international guests. Tourists of all skin colors, languages, social classes, and beliefs mingle here. Former U.S. First Lady Hillary Clinton, U.S. House Speaker Hastert, Greek Prime Minister Simitis, Romanian Prime Minister Năstase, Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga, Thai Princess Sirindhorn, and dozens of other foreign dignitaries have visited to shop. "Climb the Great Wall, eat Peking duck, visit the Forbidden City, and explore Panjiayuan" has become a key part of the itinerary for foreign tourists visiting China. The market offers the widest range of collectibles in the country, featuring imitation antique furniture, the four treasures of the study, ancient books and paintings, old magazines, agate and jade, ceramics, Chinese and foreign currencies, bamboo, wood, and bone carvings, shadow puppets and opera masks, Buddhist relics, ethnic costumes, and Cultural Revolution memorabilia. It serves as a showcase for collections, a platform for collectors to connect, and a treasure trove for enthusiasts. It is also the largest distribution hub for folk handicrafts in China. Items such as Hengshui snuff bottles, Yangliuqing New Year paintings, Jiangsu embroidery, Dongyang wood carvings, Quyang stone carvings, Shandong shadow puppets, Jiangxi porcelain and crystal jewelry, Yixing purple clay ware, Shaanxi bronzeware, Yunnan costumes, Tibetan Buddhist items, Xinjiang white jade, and Taiwanese Jiaozhi pottery all converge here before being distributed across the country and around the world.

In 2004, Panjiayuan Antique Market was named one of the “Top Ten Antique Markets in China” through public voting at the “First Annual Awards Ceremony of the Chinese Collectors’ Circle.” “Panjiayuan” has become a carrier of regional culture, a symbol of unique cultural identity, a term that evokes nostalgia, and an intangible asset in the treasure trove of Chinese national culture.

The Panjiayuan Antique Market’s craft greenhouse, completed and put into use at the end of October 2001, often sees professional and amateur painters selling their own works directly here, resulting in lower prices than elsewhere. Many galleries in Beijing also source artwork from this market.

The Panjiayuan Market has many stalls selling antique and old paintings, especially propaganda posters from various eras, which serve as important props in films and TV shows reflecting the characteristics of their time and are also collected by enthusiasts.

Location: Huawei Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing

Business Hours: Monday to Friday: 8:30–18:00; Saturday: 4:30–18:00; Sunday: 6:30–18:00

Ticket Price: Free

Public Transport: Take bus routes 300, 300 Express, 957 Express 2, or 957 Branch and get off at Panjiayuan Bridge North; take buses 28, 368, 627, 638, 938 Special, 974, 976, or Yuntong 107 and get off at Panjiayuan Bridge; take buses 674, 34, or 802 and get off at Panjiayuan Bridge West. Subway Line 10’s Panjiayuan Station is under construction—please get off at Jinsongqiao Station and walk about 1 km south along the Third Ring Road.