Beijing Antiques Shops

Beijing Antiques Shops – Antiques at Gu Wan Cheng

Beijing Antiques Shops – There are many places to buy antiques in Beijing. However, I have heard too many stories of people (locals and tourists alike) being ripped off by unethical antiques dealer who sell fakes in Beijing.

The last thing you want to do is pay top money for something that just came out of a small workshop circa 2006. Not much for antiquity value.

Beijing Antiques Shops
Beijing Antiques Shops

Thus, whenever I have visitors from overseas who want to buy antiques in Beijing, I tend to take much precaution.

This is especially so with my overseas business guests. If they pay good money and end up with a fake antique, they may think that I was in cahoots with the dealer to dupe them.

That is why I only bring my Chinese antiques-seeking clients to Gu Wan Cheng.

Gu Wan Cheng is a 4-storey building that houses many shops selling a wide variety of Chinese antiques. They include Chinese paintings, calligraphy, china, porcelain, old furniture and much more.

One must note that most of my clients are pretty well-heeled (you must be wondering why they bother hanging around with me) and they can pay the quoted price here.

Buying antiques in Gu Wang Cheng is an expensive affair and the shops’ salespeople seem to know who is just browsing around and who is a potential buyer. I was ignored after 5 minutes.

However, one must also admit that they also do know their antiques well enough to impress my friends (we had a local translator to go with us – a good tip for foreign friends who can’t speak Chinese).

Chinese paintings
Chinese paintings

Gu Wan Cheng

Why is Gu Wan Cheng a more trusted place to buy antiques compared to anywhere else in Beijing?

The answer is that the management has succeeded in ensuring that the antiques sold here are the REAL stuff. And that’s not easy to do in China.

However, I do encourage all of you to do your due diligence and check your antiques thoroughly before paying for them. You can never be too careful, even in Gu Wan Cheng.

Best of all, bring along someone who knows Chinese antiques well to shop with you. If you cannot find someone, ask your hotel’s concierge for help.

Beijing antiques shops address: Gu Wan Cheng is located on the Third Ring Road which is just beyond Pan Jia Yuan. If you’re not sure, just approach your concierge for help again to book a taxi for you.

Chinese paintings1
Chinese paintings1

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