THE shocking 588-yuan (US$96) admission price is not a typo. Not only that, an appointment is required to enter the exhibition “Secret and Rarity of the Gold Ware Collection by Guan Fu Treasury” at Bund 22.

Ma Weidu, owner of Guan Fu Museum and Guan Fu Treasury in Beijing, has no qualms about the price for those who want to see his abundant collection of Chinese antiques.

His Guan Fu Museum Shanghai will open at the Shanghai Centre next June, occupying the entire 37th floor.

In the meantime, he has 263 gold wares dating as far back as 2,700 years showcased at the century-old Bund 22 building. Some were made during the Warring States Period (476-221 BC), and they go on through the Southern and Northern Dynasties (AD 420-589) and through the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties.

The exhibition reveals the intricacy and elegance of the ancient gold ware, varying from earrings and necklaces to pots and plates. The diameter of the smallest gold item at the exhibition is only 1.5 centimeters.

The 200-square-meter exhibition hall is enveloped in darkness, with the shining gold ware bathed in light, conjuring up a mysterious atmosphere for visitors. Here, the hustle and bustle outside disappears completely.

According to the organizer, the exhibition can be seen by appointment only, and a visit is limited to two hours. Only 25 visitors are allowed at a time.

“I don’t think the price of the admission is a big thing, especially for those who love antiques under such a tranquil and elegant ambience,” Ma says.

Unlike many Chinese collectors who prefer to keep a low profile, the 50-something Ma revels in the limelight. One of the best-known antique collectors in China, Ma frequently appears in magazines, newspapers and on TV programs, sharing his experience in antique collecting and spreading the concept of collection to the public.

Ma has neither a wealthy family background nor any previous experience in business. He simply made the right purchases at the right time and now has his own museum filled with antiques. When he was growing up in the 1960s, he knew little about antiques. He confesses that literature was his ultimate dream when he was young.

“But I discarded it when I heard that the literary scene was quite corrupt — writers could bribe judges for a prize,” he says.

So he turned to collecting antiques, an experience he likens to other feel-good emotions. “It’s like when you drink quality wine, you can’t go back to common wine; or when you smoke a quality cigar, you can’t go back to common cigarettes.”

In the 1980s, he bought rare furniture, ceramics and jade, all at prices vastly lower than today. Thanks to his early start in collecting, Ma has accumulated more than 1,000 Chinese antique pieces, some of which are priceless. He opened China’s first privately owned heritage museum in 1996.

He named his Guan Fu Museum after the Taoist classic word “guanfu,” which means “look at it again and again.”

In his view, antiques illustrate “how great our ancestors were.”

Ma’s future Guan Fu Museum in Shanghai will occupy an area of 6,000 square meters — almost the size of a football field. His Guan Fu Treasury will be based at B5 in the basement at the Shanghai Centre.

“I have a business plan for the Guan Fu Museum in Shanghai,” Ma says. “The locals can put their collections, such as antiques, cash and other treasured things, in the safe boxes inside our treasury. The rental fees of these safe boxes will be another financial support for the museum itself.”

Ma promises that the admission for the new museum will be under 100 yuan, which he says would cover less than one fourth of the operating cost of the museum.

 

“Secret and Rarity of the Gold Ware Collection by Guan Fu Treasury”

Date: Through February 28

Venue: Bund 22, 22 Zhongshan Rd E2

Admission: 588 yuan

Call 400-032-1818 or 1810-1818-110 to make appointment.

Face to face with Ma Weidu

Q: How many Guan Fu Museums do you plan to open in China?

A: Around six, including the opened ones in Beijing, Hangzhou, Xiamen and Harbin, and those to be opened in Shanghai and Shenzhen.

 

Q: What is your expectation for the future Guan Fu Museum in Shanghai?

A: The Guan Fu Shanghai will be divided into four parts — Ceramics, East-meets-West, Gold Ware and Religion. I want to build a cave for the religion part and guide the visitors to a world they are unable to expect before entering and unable to describe after entering. My parents were married in Shanghai, and my mother got pregnant in Shanghai too, so I have some emotional link with this city.

 

Q: With the emergence of more private museums in the country, they often encounter two problems: money and exhibition items. How do you guarantee the quality of the exhibition while at the same time operate your private museum in the long run?

A: First, I started collecting the antiques several decades ago and have a large number of collections at my warehouse. For example, it took me a long time to collect these gold wares in this exhibition. I have an ambition: When I have 10 private museums, I will tour one exhibition around these museums in different cities, which surely will add to the reputation of the brand of Guan Fu.

 

Q: When talking about private museums, there are some questions about whether some of the items inside might be sold or where the museum would move if the rental contract of the venue expires.

A: I will donate the items in the museums and establish a foundation. I could be the head of the foundation but I don’t have to have the power to sell the antiques. Talking about the second concern, there are two solutions. If the popularity of my Guan Fu Museum is beyond the expectation of the landlord, then they definitely will try to save us. Otherwise I would change to another venue to survive, but I believe in the brand of Guan Fu.

 

Q: What do you treasure most at the moment?

A: Collecting demands time and money. But for a human being, youth is the most treasured thing. Now when I look at those young people around me, I often lament how good is to be young! Now if someone could send me back to my 20s, I surely would give all my treasures to him, without a second of hesitation.