Tianqiao Market
Tianqiao Market, Shilihe, South East Third Ring Road,
CBD/Guomao
Take the Shilihe Exit, located adjacent to North East Corner of Fenzhongsi Bridge, but read directions in post for details
Open Every day between 8am and 6pm
- Send to mobile
- Share with a friend
- Add a review
- Add an event here
- Report corrections or abuse
- Is this your business?
Claim it!
- City Weekend
says -
Located in Shilihe, it's an open market with a hutong type street plan, with traditional features. Looking for traditional Beijing crafts, fish, birds and pets.
Reviews Been there? Add a review!
-
-
-
-
A note from the original author of this article. The section entitled: City Weekend Says incorrectly states that the market is opposite the northeast corner of the temple of heaven. Could someone please correct this.
The market is in Shilihe as stated in my review.
Peter Offord
-
-
This is a photographers paradise. I have spent hours wandering with my camera and taken hundreds of photos. Just be a little careful and seek permission as some items and people are a little sensitive.
For me the cricket and song bird sections are the main attractions and you can see some great characters mulling over which the insect or bird they should buy.
On sundays there are a number of porcelain bird-feeder traders and these are a great item to collect and take home as gifts. The prices vary from about RMB100 and some of the are beautifully decorated with hand painted scenes.
If you would like to see some photos of the market and of my particular purchases it have posted them here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/14752060@N03/sets/72157602329003888/ & here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/14752060@N03/sets/72157603132688552/
As with all Beijing markets spring and autumn are the most comfortable seasons to visit. This market is a wonderful place to stroll and catch a glimpse of traditional Chinese trading and bargaining.
-
-
Oooops "S"undays and "I" have posted them... not "it" have posted them :-).
© 2007 Beijing Ringier International Advertising Company. All rights reserved.
京ICP备05061149号
Tianqiao Market is rather hard to define, I don't really know for certain what it's history is, but it seems that it may be the reincarnation of a market based losely in an area known as the south east corner of the Temple of Heaven. It is an open market with a hutong type street plan, with traditional features, so don't expect anything like the Pearl Market (Hongqiao) opposite the north east corner of the Temple of Heaven.
Tianqiao has basically become the place where nearly all the traditional crafts in Beijing can be located in one spot. It is also a wholesale fancy fish market on certain days, possibly Fridays and Saturdays, with a small plants section.
The market consists of various sections including:
Pets: mice, bunnies, hamsters and even small pigs.
Traditional Beijing crafts:
Kites and kite paraphenalia, including those enormous reels they use.
Cricket cages, cricket paraphenalia, I have even seen cricket scales, for weighing the little blighters.
Birds: specialist bird cages, in various woods and fancy feeders in porcelain.
Carved nuts and olive stones, watch out for the oily walnuts though. Some of the really nice olive stones are expensive, but excellent workmanship.
Folding stools: there are a couple of guys who specialise in this, I believe this is a craft that originates from Jinan in Shandong Province. These are very pretty, in hardwood, with colourful woven seats and bright metal mounts.
Dodgy brasswork: Large Buddhas, dragons, big nasty things
Dog chews, cockroach poison, fish medicine, tea, talking of tea there is also a traditional tea house with performances in the centre of the market, with a top quality traditional tailors next door offering very nice off the peg and made to measure traditional jackets and qipao (cheongsam for those of us still living in the colonial era).
There is even a mongolian wrestling hall at the back of the market. It is also adjacent to the Chengtian Luguan, a hostel where the stallholders from panjiayuan can be found the rest of the week, whilst also being very close to Chengtian Antiques Market, a large antiques complex (see "bored of panjiayuan' post).
Tianqiao is of course based now on the outer edge of the South East Corner of the third ring road. To get there, you need to be going south on the south east third ring, come off for Shilihe (which is just south of Panjiayuan), instead of turning left under the bridge on the main junction, follow the side road across the main junction, about 100 yards further on there is an underpass which you can drive through, don't go back on to the main third ring though. When you come out on the other side of the underpass the entrance to Tianqiao Market is just opposite. For further directions also see adjacent post: 'bored of panjiayuan".
Information provide by Peter Offord, proprietor of Ocean Art, Shop 411, Building A, Chengtian Antiques Market, Shilihe, South East Third Ring Road, Beijing. (currently the only antiques business run by a westerner in China).