Why are China's museums closing and being gutted of their art?
Illustration by Sam Ward
Liu Yiqian, the Chinese billionaire, swiped his American Express Centurion card 24 times.
Surrounded by the Chinese art world’s most elite collectors, Liu charged $36 million on his credit card to purchase “the holy grail” of Chinese art: a tea cup from the Ming dynasty. The cup, which is more than 500 years old, is only 8 centimeters in diameter and adorned with chickens pecking at their feed.
The Meiyintang ‘Chicken Cup’. Credit: Sotheby's
It was the summer of 2014, and Liu,
Exclusive longform investigative journalism, Q&As, news and analysis, and data on Chinese business elites and corporations. We publish China scoops you won't find anywhere else.
A weekly curated reading list on China from Andrew Peaple.
A daily roundup of China finance, business and economics headlines.
We offer discounts for groups, institutions and students. Go to our Subscriptions page for details.
The former Biden official and China scholar makes the case for the previous administration's approach and discusses why Beijing is content to watch the U.S. now dismantle its sources of strength
Navigate China's Business Landscape with Confidence.
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.OKPrivacy policy
