Play the game at Panjiayuan

After two decades in China, buying antiques remains my favorite game.

At Panjiayuan, Beijing, I was looking for a bronze Buddha's hand. I first visited the small shops around the market, stopping only where bronze pieces could be seen.

A man followed me; he addressed me in English. I smiled without answering, keeping my Chinese as a trump for later. In the shop, the saleswoman had something interesting but I wanted to see more choices.