Life in China 2016: A Picture A Day, July 8 – This is a clock shop from the wholesale market we went to in Guangzhou last week. LOTS of clocks to choose from…. BUT, you should buy one for yourself NOT to give as a gift! Do you remember from back in May that you shouldn’t give an umbrella as a gift in China? The same with clocks! I’ll just quote this from online “In Chinese, saying ‘giving a clock’ (送钟 sòng zhōng /song jong/) sounds exactly like the Chinese words for 'attending a funeral ritual' (送终 sòng zhōng) and thus it is bad luck to gift clocks or watches.” Clocks also can symbolize that time is running out, so giving a clock as a gift, especially to an older person, can be seen as you wishing death upon them! In a wholesale market like this one, the shops have samples of what they sell on display, and you can buy just one of something, or you can buy large quantities. I had purchased four picture frames from a shop and had to wait 30 minutes while they got them from somewhere nearby.