Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
found at cinemas in the West (although don't expect much English from the attendants
who work here).
EAST GATE CINEMA
|CINEMA
( Dōnghuán Yǐngchéng; 6418 5935; Bldg B, Basement, East Gate Plaza, Dongzhong Jie, admission from ¥80;
Dongsi Shitiao)
Shows the latest big releases, both domestic and foreign. Foreign films are
shown with their original soundtrack, but with Chinese subtitles.
ARTS, CRAFTS & ANTIQUES
Hands down the best place in Běijīng to shop for
yìshù
(arts)
,gōngyì
(crafts) and
gǔwán
(antiques) is
Pānjiāy-
uán Market
( Pānjiāyuán Gǔwán Shìchǎng; West of Panjiayuan Qiao; 8.30am-6pm Mon-Fri, 4.30am-6pm
Sat-Sun; Jinsong) . Some stalls here are open every day, but the market as a whole is only at its biggest and
best on weekends, when you can find everything from calligraphy, Cultural Revolution memorabilia and cigar-
ette ad posters to Buddha heads, ceramics, Qing dynasty-style furniture and Tibetan carpets.
Pānjiāyuán hosts around 3000 dealers and up to 50,000 visitors a day, all scoping for treasures. The serious
collectors are early birds, swooping here at dawn to snare precious relics. If you want to join them, an early start
is essential. You might not find that rare Qianlong
dòucǎi
stem cup or late Yuán dynasty
qīnghuā
vase, but
what's on view is no less than a compendium of Chinese curios and an A to Z of Middle Kingdom knick-
knacks. This market is chaotic and can be difficult if you find crowds or hard bargaining intimidating. Also, ig-
nore the 'don't pay more than half' rule here - some vendors might start at 10 times the real price. Make a few
rounds to compare prices and weigh it up before forking out for something.
How to Get to Pānjiāyuán
The market is about 1km south of Jinsong subway station on Line 10. Come out of Exit D and keep walking
straight. Turn right at the flyover and you'll see the market on your left. At the time of research, Line 10 was
due to be extended south and will eventually include a Panjiayuan station.
