Buying antiques in China

If you’re an antiques lover or collector from the UK, China is a fantastic place to pick up a unique treasure.

Chinese porcelain, textiles, sculpture, paintings and furniture are renowned for their beauty and craftsmanship, as well as for the rich cultural and historical context which inspired them.

But in such a vast country, where do you begin your search for that one special piece? We’re here to help, with our essential guide to buying antiques in China.

This includes a look at the best antique shops in China, along with markets and dealers. We’ll give you some tips on local customs for haggling and buying, along with info on how to get your purchases back home to the UK.

And if you need a smart way to purchase antiques in Chinese yuans, without losing out to poor exchange rates and high fees - check out the Wise account from the money services provider Wise.

Please see the Terms of Use for your region or visit Wise fees & pricing for the most up-to-date information on pricing and fees.

Table of Contents

Can you buy antiques in China as a foreigner? Where are the best places for finding and buying antiques in China? Best antiques markets in China Best antiques and vintage shops in China Antiques shopping tips in China What antiques to look for in China? China antique furniture China maps and postcards China vintage clothing China antique accessories How to bring your China antiques back to the UK? How to import antique furniture from China? Best China antique dealers Maintaining and displaying your China antiques

Can you buy antiques in China as a foreigner?

Yes, you can buy antiques in China as a foreigner, but there are quite a few important laws and restrictions you need to know about.

The Chinese government has a number of regulations in place relating to the sale and export of antiques. Anything produced before 1949 is considered to be a ‘cultural relic’ and can’t be legally exported without government approval. This comes in the form of an official red wax seal known as a jianding. This indicates that the item is genuine and has official approval for export.¹

This means you can buy some older antiques and take them back to the UK, but only if they have this all-important wax seal. It’s also possible to request an inspection of an item. If it meets the requirements, the government can at its discretion issue the item with a seal - then it can be legally exported.¹

Where are the best places for finding and buying antiques in China?

There are a number of places to hunt out unique and beautiful antiques in China.

Hotspots for antique shopping include:

• Shanghai, where you’ll find some of the largest and best stocked antiques shops.
• Beijing, which is known for its many antique markets, especially in the Chaoyang District.
• Hong Kong, the home of high-end antiques dealers and auction houses.

In China, you can head to specialist antiques stores, dealers or auction houses if you’re after something in particular.

Or you can browse the many street markets and bazaars to uncover an unexpected treasure. You’ll need to be patient though, as there are a lot of replicas, counterfeits and tourist trinkets around.

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Best antiques markets in China

If you love the hustle and bustle of a market, China has plenty to choose from. You’ll just need to be prepared to sift through plenty of souvenirs, mass-produced items and second-hand junk to uncover those special pieces. And of course, you’ll need to dust off your haggling skills to get them at a great price.

Here are just a few of China’s best antiques and vintage markets, spread across the country:

• Baoguosi Culture Market in Beijing² - housed in an ancient Buddhist temple in the Xicheng District, this market is now an antiques bazaar selling everything from old stamps and coins to books and small statues.
• Jinzhan Antique Furniture Market in Beijing² - for antique Chinese furniture without crowds of other buyers, it’s worth the trip to this rather remote warehouse in Jinzhan Township.
• Shuangqiao Antique Market in Beijing² - a popular spot for interior designers to pick up unique pieces, this market in Chaoyang District is bursting with furniture and antiques sourced from rural regions.
• Panjiayuan Antiques Market in Beijing² - one of the largest and most famous antique markets in the country, this enormous market sells everything from wooden furniture and china to paintings and calligraphy. However, it is rare to find a genuine antique here - but not impossible.
• Liangma Antique Market in Beijing³ - for smaller antiques like clocks and coins, this Chaoyang District market is a good place to look.
• Beijing Curio City in Beijing³ - more of a shopping district than a market, this vast area in Chaoyang District spans 5.8 acres and is the largest antiques trading centre in the whole of Asia. It has 500+ shops selling antique furniture, ancient porcelain, jade, paintings, carvings and more. The district also hosts a number of the many festivals China is famous for.
• Xi'an Antique Market (Zhuque Antiques Market) in Xi’an - this market in the Western China city of Xi’an is popular with tourists, but you can still pick up authentic pottery, coins, jade pieces, calligraphy and other antiques if you have a discerning eye.
• Huguo Antique Market, Kunming - a hidden gem of Kunming, this flea market pops up in a courtyard and showcases many antiques brought by travelling collectors. If nothing else, the eclectic items for sale are extremely interesting.
• Tianjin Antique Market in Tianjin⁴ - one of the largest antiques markets in China, this popular market has 300+ stalls selling porcelain, jade pieces, paintings, antique accessories and much more.
• Fuyou Antiques Market in Shanghai⁵ - this market is best at weekends, when the market features out-of-town antiques traders selling everything from Qing dynasty coins to calligraphy and paintings. There are also two auction houses on site.

Best antiques and vintage shops in China

There are also a number of renowned antiques shops in China, along with auction houses, warehouses and whole districts of vintage stores.

Some of the best antiques and vintage shops in China include:²

• Weisbrod Collection in Hong Kong - primarily an art gallery, but objects are available for acquisition by private collectors and museums
• Beijing Poly International Auction Co in Beijing
• China Guardian Auctions in Hong Kong
• Yunzhou Curio City in Shanghai
• Annata Vintage in Shanghai
• ARTifacts in Shanghai
• Gaobeidian Classical Furniture Street in Beijing
• Liulichang Antiques Street in Beijing.

Antiques shopping tips in China

If it’s your first time antique shopping in China, you’ll need to know about the local customs. Here are some helpful tips to help you shop safe and smart, and get the best deal:

• In some stores and antiques markets in China, there’s room for negotiation on the price. In others, prices are fixed.⁶ So you’ll need to be ready to haggle, but also when to back down and pay the fixed price. Just remember to factor in additional costs when agreeing a price, especially for large items. This includes packing, China customs, transportation to the port, sea freight, UK port charges and onward transport.
• Watch out for replicas and counterfeit products when shopping for antiques in China. There are a lot of fakes and reproductions out there,⁶ and they can sometimes look very realistic. If you’re looking for something in particular, it can pay to do your research in advance so you know what to check when you see the piece in person. To make sure you’re buying an authentic antique, look for the official red wax seal.
• Keep all purchase receipts, as they will be required by Chinese customs when exporting the item.⁶
• Always have cash ready, just in case the seller doesn’t accept other payment methods. You might want to plan a trip to an ATM in advance to get hold of some yuan. If you need to pay by card, check you have a travel-friendly debit card so you won’t rack up huge fees.

If cards are accepted at the particular antiques store you’re buying at, the Wise card is one of the best you can use.

The Wise card automatically converts your British pounds to Chinese yuan when you spend, for just a small conversion fee. Best of all, it does the conversion at the mid-market exchange rate. This means you get more yuan for your pounds, so you can splash out a little more at the flea market.

Learn more about the Wise card 💳

Please see the Terms of Use for your region or visit Wise fees & pricing for the most up-to-date information on pricing and fees.

What antiques to look for in China?

Have something special in mind? Or happy to browse and see what you uncover? Whichever is the case, it’s useful to know the best places to go for each category of antiques. We’ve put together a few tips below.

China antique furniture

For furniture, your best bet is a specialist dealer or furniture market, such as the Jinzhan Antique Furniture Market in Beijing.

You can also try antiques shops which specialise in a particular era or type of furniture, like many of the stores in Gaobeidian Classical Furniture Street, also in Beijing.

China maps and postcards

If you’re prepared to sift through plenty of junk, you’re likely to uncover maps and postcards at some of the better flea markets in China.

You can also go to a curio shop, like Yunzhou Curio City in Shanghai, to browse coins, old banknotes, jewellery, postcards, posters and much more.

China vintage clothing

There are a few good places to pick up vintage clothing and textiles in China. Your best bet is in Shanghai, which has lots of vintage and retro clothing shops. Make sure to stop by Lolo Loves Vintage, Annata Vintage and Emporium Vintage.⁷

China antique accessories

For everything else, flea markets are the places to go. Be on high alert for counterfeit and replica products though, as they are common in Chinese markets.

And if you’re searching for a specific item, you may be best researching the specialist dealers and shops in the area.

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How to bring your China antiques back to the UK?

So you’ve tracked down something fabulous, and have negotiated the price to secure the sale. The next challenge is figuring out how to ship your purchases back home from China to the UK.

How to import antique furniture from China?

The first and most crucial thing to remember is that it is illegal to import Chinese antiques that don’t have the official government-issued red wax seal. If unsure whether your item is suitable for exporting back to the UK, it’s always smart to double-check - because the penalties can be severe.

For items you are allowed to import from China to the UK, it’s recommended to work with a third party importer or shipping company. This is especially the case for larger or more valuable items. There are likely to be customs regulations and paperwork to navigate, along with taxes and duties to pay. It can be complicated, and getting it wrong can be costly.

It may be the case that the antiques dealer you buy from can recommend a suitable shipping company.

Best China antique dealers

Antiques dealers tend to be specialists in their own area, such as in a particular era or type of furniture.

So to find the best China antique dealers, you may need to do some research. You could also potentially work with UK-based experts with specialist knowledge of the Chinese antiques market.

Maintaining and displaying your China antiques

With your Chinese antiques safely shipped back home in the UK, all that’s left to do is find the perfect spot to display them.

It’s also a good idea to research how best to care for the item, especially for anything rare or fragile. A good source of information can be the seller you bought it from, so it’s worth asking before you leave China.

Getting insurance is also essential for valuable items, and you might want to install a security system too.

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And there you have it - your essential guide to buying antiques in China. It’s a huge country known for its beautiful selection of antiques, but you need to know where to look.

You also need to watch out for fakes and counterfeits, and make sure you follow Chinese government laws on what you are and aren’t allowed to export.

But hopefully after reading this, you’ll have an idea of where to start planning your antiques shopping trip in China.

And, if you want a transparent, low-cost way to handle your travel expenses abroad, check out the Wise account and get the Wise card to spend with a fair exchange rate.

Sign up with Wise today 💰

Please see the Terms of Use for your region or visit Wise fees & pricing for the most up-to-date information on pricing and fees.

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Sources used for this article:

1. Appraisalink - The Chinese Antiques Market
2. The Culture Trip - The best places to shop for antiques in Beijing
3. China Highlights - Best antique markets in Beijing
4. Top China Travel - Tianjin Antique Market
5. eChina Cities - Treasure Hunting: Shanghai’s Best Antiques Markets
6. CITS - China Shopping FAQs
7. The Culture Trip - The best vintage and antiques stores in Shanghai

Sources checked on 20-Oct-2023.