An Appetite for Adventure

From [08.11.02] Panjiayuan

Forget the tourist traps of Silk Street and Hongqiao (though you can get some amazing deals on pearls on the top floor of the latter). If you want some serious souvenir shopping in Beijing, head to the weekend wonderland known as Panjiayuan. The market — open weekends from very early to dinnertime — is your one-stop shop for all things Chinese, from finely crafted scroll paintings to porcelain vases (some big enough to hold a small person) to tapestries to teak furnishings to jade (well, “jade,” as the pieces’ authenticity is hard to guarantee). While hundreds of stalls and sanctioned vendor spots provide hours-worth of browsing material, unofficial vendors also hawk their wares within and without the market’s walls, easily making any shopper quite dizzy from the selection.

We headed there with the sole purpose of getting a scroll with our Chinese names and nevertheless got sucked into the melee. Bargains are hard to come by here, unless you really know the art of negotiation. Regardless, it’s a great place to spend the afternoon. My advice to newcomers is to either have a general idea of what you want so you can narrow your focus, or come for a once-over then come back for a decision. Either way, it’s a must-do on any visit to Beijing.

From [08.11.02] Panjiayuan

As for the above, don’t go by my face; that was before my first bite! I’m not sure of the name, but this traditional Beijing winter snack is made with the small sour plums I first tasted in Japan. The fruit is skewered and cooked in a hot syrup that, when it cools, encrusts the fruit in a slick, sweet candy shell. The sunflower seeds dotting the outside of the snack provided the perfect salty anecdote to the cloyingly sweet ‘n tart taste of the fruit and candy. Delish!