First, a word about genuineness. Chinese antiques are controlled by the Beijing Cultural Relics Bureau (BCRB) and are divided into two major categories of significance to buyers: those that may and those that may not be taken out of China. Antiques that date before 1795 are may not be sold or exported. Those dated between 1796 and 1949 should bear a small red BCRB seal to allow them to be taken out of China and to attest to their genuineness. If you buy something in a BCRB designated store, you should keep the receipt, which should indicate the name and age of the piece.

Unfortunately, reality doesn’t work quite that smoothly. Sometimes real antiques don’t have a BCRB seal and sometimes fake pieces have a fake seal, so it can be quite difficult to tell genuine antiques from dirty fakes unless you have some knowledge about them. The best attitude to have is: if you like it and you can bargain down to a price you can accept, just go for it.

A good place to find a wide selection of antiques is Liulichang. Liulichang is a street in Xuanwumen, and many of the stores there are quite old. This area has everything from scrolls, to jade, to decades-old cigarette ad posters. There are definitely treasures to be found here. Small jade articles and silver trinkets make great presents for people at home and they’re easy to take on the plane.

Across town there’s Antique City in Panjiayuan. It’s a multi-story building full of antiques and general kitsch. Many of the things are not real antiques, but on the other hand, recently a 50,000-year-old fossil on sale for about US$150 was confiscated from one of the sellers there, so you never know.

China’s largest trade center for antiques and folk art is Beijing Curio City where you’ll find more than 250 curio shops under one roof. Many of the dealers are themselves connoisseurs and curio collectors, so they may be able to answer any questions you might have.

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