panjiayuan antique markets, china:

One of my other passions when travelling (apart from photography) is shopping. In particular antique/flea markets. I consider it a match made in heaven when overseas and am always on the hunt for treasures to take home to remember our various trips by. So when I read about the Panjiayuan antique markets, my eyes lit up and off we went. What fun! The whole thing was rather big with masses of different stores selling everything from jewellery to ceramics, books, posters - you name it, it was there. We had so much fun exploring and trawlling through all the goods for that unique piece we wanted to take home. Turns out there quite a few things that caught our eyes, so we ended up with quite a bit of shopping that day! I will have to do a post when we get back to show you all the items we bought. Highly recommend the markets if you are into shopping and looking for a unique souvenir, especially for your home. It's best to go on the weekend with more stalls and items available. Also you need to bargain really hard here (even more fun)!

Next: 798 art district

beijing, china:

Ah, China. I was so happy to be returning! China marked the second half our trip, and the start of our Silk Road journey. Having been to China twice before I was super excited to return, not only to explore much more of this massive country, but because it was Andrew's first visit too. Our first port of call was the capital, Beijing. We spent about five days here to rejuvenate, get supplies (such as sleeping bags and other camping items) and of course, explore. I hadn't spent much time in Beijing before so it was great we could both explore the city with fresh eyes. We LOVED every second of it, and now rate Beijing as one of our favourite cities. It has everything - architecture (new + old), food, shopping, history and atmosphere.
Below are some snaps, the first of many from our Beijing adventures. We stayed in the historic Dongchen area, home to the classic hutong - a series of alleys and courtyard houses that are so much fun to explore. We highly recommend staying in a courtyard house, with there being many fabulous and affordable options available.

Next: shopping at the Panjiayuan Antique markets