Li Tao takes a snooze under some of the 1,800 clocks he has amassed since the age of 10 after becoming fascinated with a US-made timepiece. The clocks are featured in the Shenyang Antique Clocks Museum, which he owns. Mr Li, 24, has hunted down clocks from all over the country, from antique stores, flea markets and private collectors. His collection, displayed in a new 600 square metre exhibition space, now includes more than 40 kinds of clocks from 11 countries. Mr Li, the youngest museum curator on the mainland, says the museum, in Shenyang , the capital of Liaoning province , attracts many visitors. He says he has turned down many offers for his collection. 'There's a story behind every clock. They have witnessed and recorded how societies have changed and evolved,' he says. 'These clocks have become bearers of history. We cannot afford to lose them as we cannot afford to forget about our history.'
