A Chinese AD

Walrus · Dec 14, 2024

Only found one AD in hefei China so far. I’m more interested in junk shops where I may find an original 63 seagul but this area is more interested in “moving foraward” and I gotta say my last visit here precovid it appears China has advanced 75 years as this area was a dirt road. Anyway took a few quick pics but couldn’t buy anything had too many people with me. Not a significant difference in price as omega keeps things internationally even maybe a bit of an improvement with the dollars strength but not enough to make you buy 30 to become a flipper

Walrus · Dec 14, 2024

Sorry just realized my pics are horrible that was actually my first day here I was a bit jet lagged. I’m finding the “electric motorcycles” quite dangerous the things sneak up on you often the drivers don’t beep I call them “the silent bikes of death” as I’ve almost been taken out twice.

The electric cars on the other hand seem lovely. Appears to be 10 chinese manufacturers with BYD looking sleek and teslas all over. 20% adoption of electric vehicles still waiting to get in a “build your dreams” I want to see if they are as nice as the look. Sorry took some pics of various Chinese cars having trouble finding them

ghce · Dec 14, 2024

I haven't been to China in 5 years and in Chinese years that's a lifetime!
When I was last there not an electric car to be seen ( loads of electric bikes though) and all the taxis were clapped out VW Santana's or Hyundias.

Good luck finding anything 2nd hand in China its all new and up up up. Old is anything more than 10 years old and no one wants it, 25 years and well that's their dads old stuff and quaint but no one want it, more than 35 is ancient.

Trev · Dec 14, 2024

Nice! thanks for sharing pics.

Walrus · Dec 14, 2024

Funny

ghce
I haven't been to China in 5 years and in Chinese years that's a lifetime!
When I was last there not an electric car to be seen ( loads of electric bikes though) and all the taxis were clapped out VW Santana's or Hyundias.

Good luck finding anything 2nd hand in China its all new and up up up. Old is anything more than 10 years old and no one wants it, 25 years and well that's their dads old stuff and quaint but no one want it, more than 35 is ancient.

you say that. I went much further south than I’ve ever been. Someone we know is a major fruit seller he was telling us how Covid damn near took him out (business wise) Anyway we were in the center of his city it was loaded with traffic. He told me two years ago there were hardly any cars. Just his fruit trucks, bikes and motorcycles. The pace of change is hard for him to keep up with and he’s a native.

pdxleaf · Dec 14, 2024

One the best rides I ever had was in a taxi from Beijing Airport to our hotel. The driver was not concerned about lanes or any protocols. The shoulder was his own personal lane. And when that got restricted he just floated across the other lanes between cars. Floating doesn't mean he slowed down at all. I was in the passenger and enthralled. My wife and two daughters were in the back seat, alternatively terrified or eyes shut tight. It was great.
When we got to Beijing, we were surprised by all the Teslas and Porsches, not at all the struggling workers paradise that we thought we'd find.

Jealous of your trip. Love the pics.

ghce · Dec 14, 2024

Walrus
Funny

you say that. I went much further south than I’ve ever been. Someone we know is a major fruit seller he was telling us how Covid damn near took him out (business wise) Anyway we were in the center of his city it was loaded with traffic. He told me two years ago there were hardly any cars. Just his fruit trucks, bikes and motorcycles. The pace of change is hard for him to keep up with and he’s a native.

Yes things move so fast!
I had a big chunk of cash invested in a mid sized automotive business but like many private companies it was wiped out by Covid taking my money with it, still today many people have not recovered with large groups staying at home being supported by retired parents and grand parent, very sad but at the pace China moves will all be just history soon ( I hope).

pdxleaf
One the best rides I ever had was in a taxi from Beijing Airport to our hotel. The driver was not concerned about lanes or any protocols. The shoulder was his own personal lane. And when that got restricted he just floated across the other lanes between cars. Floating doesn't mean he slowed down at all. I was in the passenger and enthralled. My wife and two daughters were in the back seat, alternatively terrified or eyes shut tight. It was great.
When we got to Beijing, we were surprised by all the Teslas and Porsches, not at all the struggling workers paradise that we thought we'd find.

Jealous of your trip. Love the pics.

Yay I love taxi rides in China! As you say no rules followed by those guys though these days road cameras are everywhere.

When the lanes become too full taxi drivers mount the curb and hustle their way thru pedestrians and electric bikes ( who also use the foot paths) wrong way up alleys, anything goes.

My wife says I learned to drive copying Chinese taxi drivers but in truth I would never do what they do.

The cheapest most extreme terrifying fun you can have on the planet at 9 yuan a ride!

And all this in a major city of 15 million plus people.

Walrus · Dec 15, 2024

Just got out of a taxi after a great Peking duck for lunch. Our driver wasn’t taking crap from the electric bikes trying to cut into his lane. It was like a mini grand theft auto IRL.

p4ul · Dec 15, 2024

Amazing to see a culture I have not visited, please keep the updates coming.

Walrus · Dec 15, 2024

p4ul
Amazing to see a culture I have not visited, please keep the updates coming.

I’ll try I gotta wait till I’m Wi-Fi’d up but since my Chinese has greatly deteriorated the forum gives me something to do while everyone is talking. The forum it isn’t blocked by the Great fire wall

Walrus · Dec 15, 2024

Here is something, last visit precovid the building I’m in (footprint of course) was four stories with no major Highway nearby. Now it’s a little different