About this place

Just outside the west 1st ring road is Chengdu’s largest art market, Songxianqiao Art City. Local foreigners and travelers alike will be able to find whatever it is they are looking for here. However, the market is not cheap and a shopkeeper will obviously try to milk a foreigner for as much as he or she can. There is an interesting selection of Mao Zedong memorabilia to go along with the predictable items such as jade jewelry and stamps, buddha statues, animal figures of all kinds, calligraphic wall hangings, tea sets, and loads of pottery. Be patient as the rows of shops and small stalls, all of which sell relatively similar items, keep bending away from the parking lot. With patience and persistence anyone should be able to find a deal they are satisfied with.

How to get there: The market is located just west of the 1st ring road on the corner of Qingyang Shangjie and Kuanhua Beilu. Hop off bus 17, 19, 35, 47, or 309 relatively soon after you cross the large 1st ring road. The bus stop is just past the market, so walk back east maybe 100 meters from the bus stop. A taxi from the center of town will be less than Y12.