Whenever people travel to a new city or country, a visit to a local antique market is often a great way to experience the unique cultural essence of the past. Among the antique markets in Beijing, the most famous and largest is the Panjiayuan market. Compared to Liulichang, which is more like a cultural street, Panjiayuan is a bit more "stall-like" and attracts a large number of Chinese and foreign tourists with its legend of a "ghost market" and the cheap price.
Tracing the legend of the ghost market of Panjiayuan to the end of the Qing Dynasty, when a large number of antique paintings and calligraphy of the royal family flowed to the folk, many fallen aristocrats took their own antiques to sell in Panjiayuan. First of all, these transactions are a loss of identity; secondly, part of the antique deal needs to be made in secret, so it can only be carried out before dawn. That's how Panjiayuan market got the title of "ghost market". It was the early 1990s when it became an antique market.
When people first enter the market, it is likely to be attracted by the wide range of objects. After a few more times visiting the market, people will soon realize that there are too many desirable items to buy. "Look closely, listen carefully and make comparisons" naturally become a mandatory course of shopping in the Panjiayuan market.
In fact, the key to coming to the Panjiayuan market is not to buy things, but to look and listen carefully. And regardless of the cheap price of antiques that can be found, the antique collection of books, ancient coins, and even a hundred kinds of hand-made embroidered insoles, are enough to make people dazzled.
Many people say that Panjiayuan has a much richer collection than any museum. But here, in addition to old goods, all kinds of lifestyles are also attractive. Even if you are not interested in antiques, you can also come here to broaden your horizons. Panjiayuan "ghost market" has become a scenic spot in the capital, maintaining the ancient interest in the lively city, which is also the unique charm of the Panjiayuan market.
Translator: ZHAO Huinan
Reviewer: BAO Minmin
