Master of Negotiation

Front Entrance to the Hongqiao Market

This Tuesday my program has arranged for me and my classmates to visit Xi’an. Since we’ll be there for almost a week, I figured I needed a suitcase bigger than my backpack but smaller than my enormous football bag. So I went shopping at Hongqiao marketplace to pick one up. Hongqiao is famous for the pearl stores in the upper levels and the live fish/snake/frog market in the basement. After I arrived, I was bummed to find that the live market had been removed. The middle floors are filled with a bunch of small vendors selling everything from Chinese games, to purses, to electronic equipment. Floors 1 and 2 would be VERY dangerous to a woman’s wallet! Fortunately, I didn’t need any shoes, earrings, or purses. So I wandered to the luggage section.

I already knew I didn’t want to buy a fake suitcase. They had a hugh selection of “Samsonite”  luggage, none of which were real. I wanted some legit Chinese brand luggage that will last for a while. One thing that is very different about shopping in China is that there is no such thing as a set price.  EVERYTHING is negotiable. For example, my suitcase “costs” 560 RMB or a little under$100 USD. I told the lady “that’s a ridiculous price.”  She conceded and said, “okay okay, I give you good price! only 400 RMB.” She was surprised when I argued back in Chinese and offered a lower price of 350 RMB. This process went on for about 10 minutes before I told her “I’m going to go to to the next vendor and give them my money just to spite you.”  As I was walking away she came running after me and agreed to the price I wanted (150 RMB or a little over $20 USD). I could tell I got a decent deal because she was a little angry with me as I walked off with my new, spiffy Chinese suitcase.

The bargaining can get to be overwhelming in China. The vendors will often start by charging you 5x the actual price of an item. They’ll charge you 10x the actual price if you look like a gullible foreigner. It’s a tiring process that I can only endure for a couple hours. In addition to the bargaining, there is just so much stuff and so many people trying to get you to buy the stuff that it really drains your energy. However; the upside is that there really are good deals to be had. Like I said before, if you are a woman and want/need the latest “designer” looking purse, shoes, jewelry or anything else, you can’t beat Chinese prices!

While at the market place, I discovered you could access the rooftop. On top of the building there was a little park with caged birds, gardens and koi ponds. This hidden oasis was really relaxing and offered a nice escape from the chaos downstairs. Thanks to the decent weather and relatively low levels of pollution the view was spectacular. It is very easy to forget how big Beijing is until you get a birds eye view. Check out the pictures to get an idea of what this park looked like.