You would never find what it really is before you walk inside the Sanyuanli Market. Outside, it looks the same as a traditional community market, inside, it is a wonderland of agricultural products from both in and particularly out of the country.

Sanyuanli Market，located in Shunyuanli Community, Chaoyang District, Beijing, was established in October, 1992, with 139 stalls covering an area of 1,560 square meters. It sells vegetables, fruits, fresh meat, aquatic products, food seasonings, cooking oils, wheaten foods, tea, groceries etc.

At a glance of the market, the clean stalls orderly categorized by goods sell fresh food of extremely international varieties. It features a lot of food items rarely seen in other markets in Beijing, such as the distinct fruits and vegetables from home and abroad, rich aquatic products from different countries, various unnamed sweetgrass, authentic spices and exotic food seasonings.

According to the manager of the market, in 2008 during a visit to Beijing, Samak Sundaravej, the then prime minister of Thailand, proposed to go to Sanyuanli Market and visit his old friends. Stopping at a wheaten food stall, he tasted a piece of pancake to see if it was the original taste. Before leaving, he specifically bought the pancake away.

Actually, Samak Sundaravej had worked in Beijing before, just near Sanyuanli Market. At that time, he often went shopping in the market and gradually made friends with the stall owners in the market.

Opening hours: 9:00-19:00

Getting there: Walk about 10 minutes from Exit A of Liangmaqiao Station on Subway Line 10. Driving is not recommended for the inconvenience of parking.

Official Website: http://www.sanyuanlimarket.com/ (Information about the market can be checked on the website in advance)

Source: english.qianlong.com