Bonus Tip: Watch out for tourist traps around the highest tourist traffic. The two most common Beijing traps involve buying art or patronizing a teahouse. A

friendly “student” may approach you and ask to practice English, which is harmless, but if they suggest taking you somewhere, don’t go! They may pressure you into buying cheap art at a very high price, or invite you to drink tea and stick you with a ridiculously expensive bill. Don’t let this deter you from talking to genuinely friendly people. The trap is easily avoided by insisting on having tea or seeing art at a place you choose.

Now go practice your haggling skills at Panjiayuan Market in Southeast Beijing. The massive 48,500 squaremeter Flea Market is the best place in Beijing to buy cool Chinese stuff. The market is chocked full of items you won’t know you have to have until you see them. An indescribable array of antiques and cultural relics is available on most days. More vendors will be out on weekends, and some start to pack up by early in the afternoon.

It’s hard to believe that the ancient-looking bazaar opened as recently as 1992. In the years preceding, hutongs (alleyways) in the area became overcrowded with street merchants hawking a variety of goods, and on weekends, crowds grew so large that vendors were pushed into a nearby forest, giving the area the nickname “dirt market.” As its popularity grew, the government gave merchants a permanent home by building the marketplace where vendors can rent stalls to conduct business.

Panjiayuan is the best place to find genuine political paraphernalia from years past. Many history aficionados are lured by Cultural Revolution posters sold on the street for only a few yuan each, but once you visit Panjiayuan, you will see that the cheapies are reprints. Some shops at Panjiayuan are brimming with not only authentic original posters, but statues, tableware, and other materials featuring Mao Zedong, along with a host of other famous faces of historical communist pioneers and Chinese leaders. You can get antique currency and an old phonograph to go with your posters, or have a merchant carve your Chinese name on your own stamp seal. But, I recommend choosing your Chinese name carefully. Their proposed characters for “Scott” are pronounced “si kao te” which usually evokes laughter when spoken. The gibberish sounds comical when attempting phonetic transliteration.

You will find plenty of other great souvenirs from ancient weapons to modern art, but don’t forget to haggle.