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).