Beijing Yihong Carpet Factory
35 Juzhang Hutong
Beijing, China
Phone: 010/6712-2195

The Beijing Yihong Carpet Factory (a.k.a. the Women's Carpet Cooperative), a back-alley showroom, is managed by women from a state-owned carpet factory. Its showroom is stacked with dusty rugs from Mongolia, Xinjiang, and Tibet. Cleaning and repairs are free. Although it's primarily an outlet for old rugs, new items are on sale as well, and copies of old designs can be made to order, usually within weeks.

Chaowai Market
Shichangjie
Chaoyangmenwai Dajie
Chaoyang District, China

Chaowai Market, Beijing's best-known venue for affordable antique and reproduction furniture, houses scores of independent vendors who sell everything from authentic Qing chests to traditional baskets, ceramics, carpets, and curios. Be sure to bargain; vendors routinely sell items for less than half their starting price.

Jewelry

Hongqiao Market
Tiantan Lu
between Chongemenwai Lu and Tiyuguan Dajie
Chongwen District, China
Phone: 010/6711-7630

Everything from porcelain to toilet paper is sold at the Hongqiao Market, but the main attraction, on the third floor, is freshwater pearls. The market offers a good selection at affordable prices.

Luwu Jewelry and Craft Store
268 Wangfujing Dajie
Beijing, China

Across Wangfujing is the Luwu Jewelry and Craft Store, where merchants sell silk, jade, wood, and other souvenirs.

Shendege Gongyipin Shangdian
1 Ritan Beilu
Beijing, China
Phone: 010/6500-3712

The Shendege Gongyipin Shangdian (Shard Box Store) specializes in silver, jade, coral, and turquoise jewelry worn by China's national minorities. Many pieces are one-of-a-kind items from Tibet or Yunnan. The store takes its name from traditional jewelry boxes, which were often made from pottery shards.

Markets

Beijing Curio City
Dongsanhuan Nanlu
Chaoyang District
Exit 3RD Ring rd. at Anjiayuan Bridge, China
Phone: 010/6774-7711 or 010/6773-6021 Ext. 63

Beijing Curio City is a four-story complex housing scores of kitsch and curio shops and a few furniture vendors. Prices are high (driven by tour groups), so don't be afraid to low-ball.