Origin of 'dirt market'

[zhwj]

Panjiayuan 潘家园 is also called the Ghost Market (鬼市子) - I've known this for a while, but I only just learned that it's also known as the "Dirt Market".

I can't find any Chinese references to this name - is it one of those expat things, or do locals call it that too?

[roddy]

blank looks and 没有‘s from a couple of people I asked and would expect to know. As you've no doubt noted, you can find fairly detailed histories of the place, but not a hint of this name, even when the alternative 鬼市子 is mentioned (which apparently refers to the fact that it just appears in the morning, so must have been laid out by the ghosts at night, although I've lost that page so don't ask me for the link).

The most detailed page I can find, here, does make reference 最初只是一些商贩沿街摆摊, and then to the original stalls-on-blankets coming in from the streets into a 大棚, which makes me think it was never on the 'dirt' which is claimed as the origin of the name in the first place. Unless they had dirt streets there in 1992.

As far as I can see, you need to track down Ron Gluckman and get him to disclose his source . . .

[studentyoung]

Panjiayuan 潘家园 is also called the Ghost Market (鬼市子) - I've known this for a while, but I only just learned that it's also known as the "Dirt Market".

I can't find any Chinese references to this name - is it one of those expat things, or do locals call it that too?

咳——！Dirt Market 就是“地摊市场”的意思啊！说潘家园是地摊市场，就是说那儿是以地摊摆卖的方式来作生意的。当地人一听说“潘家园”三个字，就知道那儿是地摊市场了，所以很少这么说。说潘家园是“Dirt Market”的，基本上都是外国人，因为他们想让别人知道“潘家园”是一个地摊市场。

Thanks!

[imron]

因为他们想让别人知道“潘家园”是一个地摊市场。

不是因为这个，而主要是因为Lonely Planet里叫它做Dirt Market.

[zhwj]

Thanks. I was sort of hoping it'd be one of five elemental markets, actually.

[studentyoung]

I was sort of hoping it'd be one of five elemental markets, actually.

啊，原来如此~ ~！这么说来，你挺失望啊？！没关系，等下一次北京下完“土”的第二天，你再去潘家园——我保证你说：“It is one of five elemental markets, actually! ” 呵呵！

Thanks!

[HashiriKata]

I was sort of hoping it'd be one of five elemental markets, actually.

What is "five elemental markets"? What can you buy there?

[zhwj]

The Five Elemental Markets, in the Beijing' of my imagination, are:

The Water Market: Purveyors of delicacies from the ocean, fine alcohol, and precious crystal.

The Fire Market: Fireworks. Seasonal, now that the new regulations are in place.

The Wood Market: Fine furniture. Books.

The Metal Market: Fairly obvious.

The Dirt Market: Earthenware. Tiles. Sculpted stone.

[HashiriKata]

谢谢，zhwj！