Hongqiao Market – The Pearl Market, Beijing

What to buy here: Chinese ceramics | Chinese chop | Chinese Jade | Chinese jewelry | Chinese silk | Chinese tea | Chinese Traditional Clothing | Cloisonne Objects | Yixing clay teapots | Zhongguo Jie (Chinese knots) |

The Chinese chop is a signature stamp made of stone or wood, sometimes metal or ivory. It is usually either square or circular in shape and almost always stamped with red ink. The chop was invented during the Shang dynasty and has since become an important part of Chinese culture. Traditionally, all business transactions had to be signed with a chop and to date no business can be done without the use of a chop, it is necessary to sign any agreement or contract. The Chinese chop is also used by Chinese artists in order to sign their works. Anyone can have their names translated into Chinese characters in order to make such a chop. The price for a Chinese chop is within $10, but it may cost more if the chop is made of precious stone.

Yixing clay teapots are a traditional style of teapots made of Yixing clay that have been produced since the 15th century. The Yixing teapots are meant to be used with black, oolong or pu'er tea, but may also be used with green and white tea. They are highly appreciated in China for their unique capability of absorbing the flavor of the tea that was made in it and adding from it to the next tea. That is why one pot is usually used for one single type of tea. If the pot has been used for years to make pu'er tea and then another kind of tea is made, it will have a taste of pu'er tea. These kind of pots may only be washed with boiled water, because if washed with soap or any other cleaning agent, it will retain its taste and the tea will taste like it. Since Yixing clay teapots are highly appreciated they tend to be more expensive than regular pots, the price for a Yixing clay teapot is approximately $30 to $40, but you may also find teapots that cost up to $1000.