39 year old Alex comes from Sheffield, England. Since 2005 he has been involved in English education in Harbin. Alex is interested in Chinese antiques. Each year during the holidays, he goes around to Chinese antique markets and museums and buys some things to send back to England.

“I am a big fan of Chinese antiques, and I also have a small antique business.” Alex said: “Many small Chinese antiques are popular among English youths.”

In old Daowai district of Harbin, there are varieties of antiques full of beauty that can be found on the street. It deeply attracts Alex. In the beginning, the vendors looked at Alex as a foreigner; they wanted to get a fair price. But after regular contact, they soon had a headache when they saw Alex again. “Though I can't say how well I know about Chinese antiques, I can distinguish true and false antiques on this street.” Alex smiled.

Although Alex has more experience in shopping, he sometimes makes mistakes. Once he came to Daowai to do some shopping. He liked a vase from the Qing Dynasty. “The figure of the vase was in a Qing Dynasty style. The history lines and glazing color conform to those days, and at that time the vendor’s attitude was believable. I believed it.” Alex said.

After bargaining for several times, Alex paid 5000 yuan to buy the vase. But when he found that his Chinese friend could distinguish items, his friend regrettably told Alex that he had been tricked. Speaking of this period in the past, Alex forced a smile and said：“I found that I knew a little about Chinese culture. Each dynasty and each generation has produced goods, true and false in accuracy. It's really difficult for a foreigner.

Now if Alex has free time he will go to the antique market. Most antiques that he buys are carried back to England. He said “My business in England is hot. Appreciating antiques I have had many experiences. I hope I can get a big one on the street.”