Visit Fanghua Pearl and Jewel to find your favorite necklace.
Close to the Temple of Heaven lies a well-known pearl market. Every day it attracts many visitors from home and abroad. Recently I visited it on my way back to the Beijing GuoHong Hotel and was impressed with the Fanghua Pearl and Jewel store. If you want to find a beautiful pearl necklace, don’t miss this shop.
This well-decorated shop is on the 4th floor of the market. You will find numerous pearl necklaces neatly displayed in the shop. The colors included milk white, golden yellow, pink, and black.
Ms. Carrie is a kind shop keeper. She told me Fanghua is the No.1 retailer of high-quality pearls in China. There are mainly three grouping of pearls in the shop: fresh water pearls, sea water pearls, and South Sea pearls.
Many people fear buying fake pearls. But Ms. Carries explained to me how to distinguish real pearls from fake ones. There’s a rule for distinguishing fine pearls: the rounder and shinier, the better.
You will notice the photos on the wall showing foreign dignitaries visiting the shop: Margaret Thatcher, Putin’s wife, the Queen of Spain, and so on. The photos are proof of the charm of these Chinese pearls.
Next shop: antiques, jade jewelry and works of art
Last week I visited Chengtian Antique City, which is very close to the Guangxi Hotel Beijing. I found a shop that carried Chinese antiques, jade jewelry, and other kinds of art. They were great decorations.
Many antique porcelain wares were displayed in the shop: vases, bowls, and plates, just to name a few. Some of them were even made as early as the Qing dynasty.
Mr. Tang, the shop owner, greeted me. He showed me a porcelain statue of Empress Dowager Cixi, a female ruler of the Qing dynasty. She sat on a stone bench with a big spotted dog. She was wearing a big black hat and a colorful button-down robe. Embroidered peonies and butterflies decorated her robe. In China, a peony represents wealth and status.
He also showed me some jade jewelry items, including pendants and bracelets. They were white, and looked glossy. Jade symbolizes virtue and is thought to bring good health.
Besides jade and porcelain, there are also some Chinese paintings, calligraphy work, and wood carvings in the shop. They are all traditional Chinese art forms. So be sure to come here while staying at your hotel in Beijing.
