Open-air markets decline amid development shift

Amateur collector Ding Ding picked up a palm-sized jade tablet and inspected it thoroughly for a time with a flashlight.

He told the seller: "The quality of the jade is fine, as are the carving and the pattern. I could buy it, but it is not worth the price you're asking."

Ding, who lives in Beijing's Shunyi district, sometimes visits the market with friends to see if there is anything worth buying.

For a while he has been unable to find anything he likes. "Finding something at the ghost market is really a matter of luck. You can never predict when you will be able to find a piece, or what its true value is," he said.

Ding said some of the antiques sold at the market, such as jade and silver items, are genuine, but the quality can vary.

"It's hard to say whether these 'antiques' are as old as the owners claim, because many of them are made to look as if they are ancient."

Most of the genuine antiques are from the late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China period, and if a seller claims the goods come from an earlier time, it is highly likely that they are fakes, Ding said.

"There used to be some buyers who made quite a fortune when they discovered valuable treasures, but in recent years this has not been the case," he said.

"People are well aware of the situation, and most of them are here just for fun. If you find something that you really like or means a lot to you, and if the price is not too outrageous, you can still have it."

Over time, in addition to antiques, the market has sold other old goods and secondhand household items.

Kang, who works as an intern in Beijing, said visiting the market is top of her must-do list in the city. "I've been obsessed with old stuff since childhood, and I really enjoy shopping at flea markets."

She said that when she studied in the United Kingdom, she spent nearly all her spare time in antique shops.

"When traveling to other countries and cities in Europe, I always wanted to visit the local antique shops," Kang said. "I once took a trip to Belgium just to visit the largest antique market in Europe ... I have made friends with some antique shop owners."

When it comes to buying, Kang does not have a preference, but said it is crucial to "know a little bit of this and that".

Squatting beside a stall at the ghost market and looking for some calendar cards from the 1980s, she said: "I enjoy collecting old stuff. It can be toys, accessories, books and postcards, as long as I find them interesting."