Panjiayuan Antique Market

Panjiayuan is Beijing's main market for antiques, crafts and collectibles, set south-west of Panjiayuan Bridge on the South Third Ring Road in Chaoyang district. According to the city's official tourism resource site, it covers 48,500 square metres and is one of the country's major centres for the antique art trade. Entry is free and the market is open all year.

The market is divided into six areas: open stalls, a section in traditional-style buildings, a classical furniture area, a modern collectibles area, a stone carving area and a dining area. Goods range from ceramics, bronzes and jade to calligraphy and paintings, framed prints, beads and bracelets, old books and small decorative items, alongside newer handicrafts and gifts. On Saturday and Sunday mornings, the old book market in the eastern book area opens at 7am and sells literature, art books, comics, old magazines and second-hand English books.

Panjiayuan has also become an evening destination. The Beijing government reported in April 2025 that a Saturday night market had been added to the existing Wednesday and Friday night markets. The night markets combine antiques, calligraphy and paintings, jewellery and jade, trendy toys and creative handicrafts with a food street, and the Saturday market focuses on intangible cultural heritage, with craftspeople and heritage inheritors showing their work.

The evening markets are part of a wider change: according to the Beijing government, Panjiayuan introduced its night-time model in 2020, mixing the traditional antique trade with food and newer creative goods. That makes it worth visiting even if you have no interest in buying antiques, as the food street and craft stalls give a broad picture of what draws Beijing residents here.

Allow two to three hours if you want to browse properly, and go early at weekends if you are interested in the book market. At 48,500 square metres and six separate areas, the market rewards a slow browse. The market suits collectors, people looking for unusual souvenirs and anyone curious about a large Beijing trading scene. For directions, the market's listing on the official tourism site links to route planning, and the phone number is +86 10 8777 2727.