Beijing’s art zones to flourish

An exhibition at 798 Space gallery, July 2004. Old Maoist slogans are visible on the ceiling arches.

Beijing’s 798 Art Zone brings together a number of celebrities of art and culture, art institutions and enterprises in fashion. Many important international art exhibitions, art activities and fashion shows are often held here, which attract plenty of worldwide political importance, movie stars and social celebrities.

In 2006，the Beijing 798 Art Zone was listed as one of the first concentrations of the cultural creative industry by Beijing Civic and Chaoyang District Governments. It was also named as the “Beijing 798 Art Zone Cultural Creative Industrial Base of Zhong Guan Cun Electronic City” by Zhong Guan Cun management committee. The atmosphere of a “creative zone and cultural park” is forming. In order to boost the prosperity and development of the 798 Art Zone, the Chaoyang District Government and Seven Star group co-founded the Beijing 798 Art Zone Development and Administration office, with the principle of “coordination , service, introduction and management” to boost the development of contemporary art and the cultural creative industry in the art zone.

Beijing 798 Art Zone international activities

Beijing 798 Art Festival：held from the end of April to the end of May, focusing on the exhibition and communication of culture and art.

Beijing 798 Creative Art Festival：held from the end of September to the end of October, focusing on the exhibition and communication of culture and art.

The 798 Art Zone doesn't have a gate or a boundary; when you see a big red post with "798" written on it, you know you have arrived at the art paradise.

Panjiayuan Antiques Market

Situated west of Panjiayuan Bridge and south of the East Third Ring Road, the Panjiayuan Antiques Market is very accessible. The market deals mainly in antiques and arts and crafts. It also has the reputation of being the most inexpensive antiques market in Beijing, attracting foreign and domestic tourists.

Whether you want to sightsee, window-shop or buy collectors' items, there really is something for everyone. Even Hilary Clinton has famously shopped at Panjiayuan.

Panjiayuan Antiques Market

With so many stalls selling similar items, this is a great place for bargain hunters. And although there are genuine articles to be found here, it is hard to tell the real deal from the fake, particularly if you aren't an expert.

Panjiayuan market covers an area of 4.85 hectares of land and accommodates over 3,000 stalls. It is the largest antiques market of its kind both in China and Asia.

It used to be a weekend-only market. But, after some refurbishment work, it is now open for business seven days a week. However, Saturdays and Sundays are still the best days to go.

Secondhand goods, arts and crafts and antiquities are the main transactions in the market. Also on offer are antique furniture imitations, what is known to the Chinese as the "Four Treasures of the Study" (writing brush, ink stick, paper and ink slab), old books and paintings, agate, jadeite, ceramics, ancient Chinese and foreign coins, bamboo and animal bone sculptures, leather puppets for shadow play, and a wide range of Chinese opera masks.

Buddhist relics, costumes of ethnic minorities, apparels, "Cultural Revolution" (1966-76) articles, and daily necessities can also be found here.

Traders from 24 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions in China have stalls in the market, as do several ethnic minorities.

History

Established initially as a flea market run by small traders in a Chaoyang hutong in 1980, it moved to its present location in 1995.

Beijingers in need of money in the 1980s were the first to take artwork from their family collections to the market to sell on the weekend. Such trading among individuals was forbidden at the time, and everyone kept a watchful eye out for police at all times.