AMCHPR: vintage and modern Chinese watches and clocks
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    • Click HERE for detailed itineraries
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      • Trip 5 - April 16 2018 Xinmi after Xian
      • Trip 5 - April 17 2018 Xinmi last day
      • Trip 5 - April 18-19 2018 Shanghai 1
      • Trip 5 - April 21 2018 Shanghai/Suzhou
      • Trip 5 - April 23 2018 Part 2 Shandong Liaocheng Zhong Tai Watch
      • Trip 5 - April 22/24 2018 Pt 1 Shandong Langelo Clocks
      • Trip 5 - April 25th 2018 Jinan Day 1
    • 2018 Part 2 >
      • Trip 5 - April 26th 2018 Jinan Day 2
      • Trip 5 - Sunday, May 6 2018 Beijing
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      • TRIP 4 2015 PART I - SHENZHEN AND CWCF
      • TRIP 4 2015 - PART II: GUILIN/YAO MTN
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    • 2014 >
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    • 2013 >
      • Shanghai Apr. 3-7
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      • Shijiazhuang w/Ma Rong Apr. 14-19
      • Tianjin Sea-Gull WF - Apr. 20-23
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    • 2011 (First Visit) >
      • I Beijing
      • 2 Beijing w/Joel Chan
      • 3 Panjiayuan & more
      • 4 Shijiazhuang
      • 5 Whipping Top
      • 6 To Cangyanshan
      • 7 At Cangyanshan
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  • Curator: Ron Good
  • East Watch Review
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  • PEACE RIVER
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  • Ben Chee Celadon Imperial 100
  • AMCHPR Travel Tips
    • AviatorUSA Travel Jeans Review
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  • Additional Resources
  • HOME
  • EXHIBITS
    • Chinese Watches
    • Clocks
    • Ephemera
    • Parts and Tools
    • Non-Chinese Watches
    • Other Exhibits
    • Wrist Shots
    • Facebook Cover Photos
    • AMCHPR Desktop Backgrounds
  • CHINA TRAVELS
    • Click HERE for detailed itineraries
    • 2019 >
      • 2019 June 7 - Luoyang with Mr. Li
      • Fuxi Mountain Glass Bridge 06/08/19
      • June 9-13 in Fenghuang, Hunan
      • Shanghai 06/16 Shanghai Watch Factory
      • AMCHPR 06/18 w/Guo Ming (AHCI) and A.J.
      • Shenzhen CWCF2019 w RedStar Watches
    • 2018 >
      • Trip 5 - April 10/11 2018 Guangzhou
      • Trip 5 - April 12/13 2018 Shenzhen
      • Trip 5 - April 13/14 2018 Guangzhou
      • Trip 5 - April 15 2018 Guangzhou to Xian
      • Trip 5 - April 16 2018 Xian/Terracotta
      • Trip 5 - April 16 2018 Xinmi after Xian
      • Trip 5 - April 17 2018 Xinmi last day
      • Trip 5 - April 18-19 2018 Shanghai 1
      • Trip 5 - April 21 2018 Shanghai/Suzhou
      • Trip 5 - April 23 2018 Part 2 Shandong Liaocheng Zhong Tai Watch
      • Trip 5 - April 22/24 2018 Pt 1 Shandong Langelo Clocks
      • Trip 5 - April 25th 2018 Jinan Day 1
    • 2018 Part 2 >
      • Trip 5 - April 26th 2018 Jinan Day 2
      • Trip 5 - Sunday, May 6 2018 Beijing
    • 2015 >
      • TRIP 4 2015 PART I - SHENZHEN AND CWCF
      • TRIP 4 2015 - PART II: GUILIN/YAO MTN
      • Trip 4 2015 - Part II : Guilin/Yangshuo
      • Trip 4 2015 - Part III : Xinmi
      • Trip 4 2015 - Part IV : Xinmi and Luoyang
    • 2014 >
      • Beijing June 8/9 2014
      • Beijing June 10th
      • Yantai June 11/12
      • Yantai June 13
      • Shijiazhuang June 14
      • Shanghai June 18-21
      • Guangzhou June 22-23
      • Guangzhou/Zhuhai June 24
      • Guangzhou 5 Goat more June 25
      • 25th CWCF 2014 June 26
      • More CWCF - June 27-29
      • CWCF Social Activities June 26-29
      • Beijing July 1-5
    • 2013 >
      • Shanghai Apr. 3-7
      • Luoyang, Longmen, Zhengzhou Apr 8-13
      • Shijiazhuang w/Ma Rong Apr. 14-19
      • Tianjin Sea-Gull WF - Apr. 20-23
      • Beijing Lishi & Great Wall April 24-28
    • 2011 (First Visit) >
      • I Beijing
      • 2 Beijing w/Joel Chan
      • 3 Panjiayuan & more
      • 4 Shijiazhuang
      • 5 Whipping Top
      • 6 To Cangyanshan
      • 7 At Cangyanshan
      • 8 Shijiazhuang 2
      • 9 To Tianjin
      • 10 Tianjin Day/Dusk
      • 11 Tianjin at night
      • 12 Sea-Gull Watch Factory
      • 14 Beijing to home
      • 13 More Beijing
      • 15 - Extra Shots/notes
  • Curator: Ron Good
  • East Watch Review
  • TERMS/TRANSLATIONS
  • Acknowledgements
  • PEACE RIVER
  • ARTICLES
  • Atelier Wen Porcelain Odyssey "Hao" visits the AMCHPR
  • Ben Chee Celadon Imperial 100
  • AMCHPR Travel Tips
    • AviatorUSA Travel Jeans Review
    • Travel Vests
  • Watch Photography Resources
  • Additional Resources

First whole day in China...ever...Oct 6/2011

AlbertaTime in China #1 - Beijing with Martin
(Thursday, Oct 6/2011)

Ni Hao everyone!

What a day. My friend Martin Backman (a WUS member "martback" living in Beijing) was kind enough to meet me downtown, and he spent the entire day with me taking/guiding me to big and small markets, introducing me to watch sellers, to sellers of everything else, and to skewered quail eggs, spiced potato slices, lamb and other Beijing street food...incredible tasting, very inexpensive and fully nourishing food...and one snack and one meal lasted me all day.

And the entire day from 9 AM to about 8PM was spent on our feet...I haven't walked that much in years.

This first photo is Martin and I at the Temple of Heaven around sundown ...just to prove I got to Beijing.

Temple of Heaven - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia for details on the temple.

martin and ron 1.jpg

Much of the rest is from earlier in the day...

This photo is the cook at a market (that's our food on the grill)...

cook at market.jpg

Me happily stuffing my face...

stuffing my face.jpg

This next is the huge and beautiful TV screen at Tienanmen Square (there were literally thousands of people watching wonderful photos of scenic places all over China, displayed because of China's big "Golden Week" holiday) and just a photo of only a small fraction of the people at this huge square.

huge TV at the square.jpg

people at the square.jpg

I have to say that even without speaking the language, everyone...everyone...I've encountered from sellers to just folks walking around has been friendly, courteous and extremely good natured. Even going from place to place well after dark when we walked down long, very dark alleys in places called hutongs (kind of like older downtown neighbourhoods) encountering people alone or in small groups, all ages...not once did I feel anything but safe,comfortable and easily welcomed. (Oh yeah, and the weather today was wonderful ) That's a huge change from walking down urban alleys anywhere else I've been. All day we both received smiles from all sorts of folks who were just aware we were foreigners happening to pass by. We got Ni Hao from lots and even "hello" from quite a few folks.

Watches, you ask? There's watches in China? We found a few but I haven't had time to take photos. Instead, just to tease the daylights out of everyone... :-X
Here's a shot at the first market Martin introduced me to (Where's Martin? ) ;)...

market1.jpg

Here's a shot of Martin with Mr Cao (Cao Lin Gao) and, I think, Mr Cao's son at one of his two small market shops in Beijing:

cao shop1.jpg

and some shots of Mr Cao's watches for sale...

watches1.jpg

watches2.jpg

...and, a shot of the sign at this shop, followed by the address exactly as it is written on Mr Cao's business card.

(BY the way, Mr Cao is a serious seller and has a few awesome---and very, very real---vintage pie-pan Omegas that are total drool material...and other vintage pieces as well, besides terrific VCMs)

cao sign.jpg

The address: Chaoyang District, opposite the willow and all the junk (yes, that's exactly what it says )

Before I close this post: Martin, I want to thank you for one of the most fascinating days of my life, You are a thoughtful, generous and friendly and intelligent, perceptive guide and I appreciate every second you spent showing me around. Thank you, xie xie!

Copyright © AMCHPR 2015 - 中国手表博物馆,皮斯里弗,艾伯塔省 - (no, of course it's not an official Alberta museum).