Fishing for a bargain is harder than I realized

Even though people joke that the antiques in Panjiayuan are 200 percent fake, the antique market attracts thousands of visitors wanting to try their luck. Me too.

The biggest antiques market in Beijing, on the southeastern 3rd Ring Road, opens early on weekend mornings. Insiders believe that the earlier you get there, the better the chances of finding a real antique. Accordingly, I arrived at 7 am on a Saturday.

The market had already become an ocean of faces. Hundreds of stands were lined up in a huge shed. The entrance and the alley behind the antique shops were all occupied by small booths.