Ciqikou (Porcelain) Village, Chongqing, China

Ciqikou Village is a market in Chongqing that dates back one thousand years. The name Ciqikou a remnant of the porcelain trade that was once centered here. Porcelain can still be found among the eclectic shops that line the alleys. Aside from gifts and clothing, the market has a robust foodie scene. From noodles made while you watch to flowerburst cotton candy, the treats are seemingly unlimited.

Our Yangtze River Cruise ran from Yichang to Chongqing. From Chongqing, we had an afternoon flight to Shanghai. We had a few hours to kill before our flight, giving us time to navigate the market on our own. Walking into the market is a bit overwhelming at first. While we were visiting during bumper season, the market was still crowded late morning. I would imagine that it is hard to move through the market at all during peak season.

While there were normal gift shops that sold everything from paintings to figurines, the real artwork I admired was the handicrafts. Some not even in shops. One young lady was spinning grass into a jungle of creatures. I watched for a few minutes, mesmerized by her ability to nimbly weave the grass into a variety of animals. Her artistry available for pocket change.

Near the entrance to the market is a temple along with an interesting statue out front. There were a couple of other statues in the market as well. There were two that struck me as humorous.

For the foodies, a quick culinary glance of the gastric possibilities to explore...

I didn't take many photos of the shops, but I did get a few. I really enjoyed watching the girl who made animals out of grass. I also had the opportunity to watch a scarf maker at work at her loom. The scarf shop was really nice. There was also a shop where you could purchase framed art. This included both paintings as well as silk thread pictures. I ended up buying a silk thread picture later in the trip, which is currently hanging on the wall in my living room. Below are examples of what they look like. In the second photo, they are the pictures in the foreground.

Being an ancient town, the market is woven into surrounding structures creating an interesting blend of commerce and architecture. There were a couple of structures whose architecture really stood out to me. I will include photos of those as well.

I didn't take much video in the market, but did find a video compilation that navigates the market nicely. I will share that video from youtube below. The rest of the photos and video are my own. They may be reproduced with prior permission.

I hope you enjoyed this trip through Ciqikou Village Street Market. It is an interesting link between past and present. Rich in food tradition as well as gifts, temples and plenty of people watching. The village is generally open from 8:30 am until 10:00 pm.