Chapter 12: Indoor Markets in Beiijng, Page 3

One of Beijing's most colorful and lively all-purpose free markets is the Hong Qiao Market that used to snake cheek-to-jowl along the wall on north side of the Temple of Heaven in central Beijing. It was a hodge-podge of private vendors selling everything under the sun from their tiny, semi-enclosed stalls. At the east end, there were vegetables, fruit and spices, meats and fish. Walking west through the market, you would pass through the trinkets and toys stalls (barrettes, batteries, pencils, pocket knives and any other cheap novelties imaginable). That led to the pearl section where thousands of strings of fresh water and cultured pearls where selling at unbelievably tempting prices starting at US$2.00 for a 12" strand. From there, you passed into the "antiques" section, where you could find some real antiques among contemporary fakes.

Former site of Hong Qiao Market
is now a bicycle lane.

In 1994, the city government forced the vendors to move away from the centuries-old wall and spearheaded the construction of a building to house this free market. Vendors, who wanted a permanent stall in the new facility made a small contribution to the building fund. The city provided the remainder of the funds and the new building was opened in January 1995. It's not as a colorful as before, but it's just as lively and it's a more pleasant place to shop, particularly in the bitter cold winter months. On the first and second floors, you'll find the toys and trinkets vendors from the original market. The pearl market on the third floor is still thriving.

New Hong Qiao Market, a
3-story building across from
its original location.