Xi'an sits on top of more than a thousand years of imperial history, and the consequences of that show up in its antique trade. The market around Baxian An, a Taoist temple in the eastern part of the old city, is the largest in the city and the one Xi'an collectors actually use. It runs daily but comes fully alive at weekends, when the courtyards, the street in front of the temple and the surrounding lanes fill with tables.
What is on offer
Expect a very wide range. At one end there are genuine later pieces: Qing and Republican-era furniture, old coins and paper money, tiles and roof ornaments, carved wooden panels, ink stones, brushes and seals. At the other end there are shards and fragments of Han and Tang pottery sold by the handful, small bronzes and mirrors of uncertain age, and ceramic horses and figures made last month for the tourist trade. It is all mixed together on the same tables, which is part of the appeal and also the reason to buy with your eyes rather than your hopes.
How to shop
Prices are negotiable and quoted high; a first offer is an opening position, not a price. Walk the whole market before buying anything, because the same class of object appears on several tables and comparison is the fastest way to learn the going rate. Ask permission before taking photographs of individual stalls. Anything claimed to be of museum quality or of genuine imperial date should be treated with hard scepticism - Xi'an's real antiquities trade is regulated, and export of cultural relics from China is controlled by law.
Practical notes
Baxian An is inside the old city, a short taxi ride from the Bell Tower and walkable from the eastern section of the city wall. Cash and mobile payment are both accepted, and larger stalls can pack and ship, though the paperwork for anything that might be considered a cultural relic is not something a stallholder can arrange. Go on a Saturday or Sunday morning: the market is at its fullest between eight and eleven, and many sellers pack up by early afternoon.
