By INESA PLESKACHEUSKAYA

 

Have you ever come across red sandalwood, a timber so rare as to render it precious? In ancient Asia it was regarded as equal to gold and jade. Only the Emperor of China and members of his family had furniture made from red sandalwood, and 10-inch long panels of this material decorated Napoleon's coffin.

Bearing this in mind, how much would it cost to build three of the four stories of an immense building out of red sandalwood, as well as furniture, screens and other accoutrements? Dr. Chan Laiwa spent whatever this astronomical figure must have been to set up the world's largest private museum specializing in red sandalwood objects. "One cannot measure this project in purely financial terms," she says. "Money can buy diamonds and pearls, but red sandalwood is the essence of Chinese culture itself."

In 2002, Forbes magazine estimated Chan Laiwa's personal wealth at RMB5.5 billion (US$665 million), making her fifth on its list of the richest Chinese (of which only three were women), and wealthiest Chinese woman.

Chan has had a passion for red sandalwood since childhood, but it was only twenty years ago, after earning her first millions in Hong Kong's lucrative real estate sector, that she was able to realize her dream of establishing a museum.

Chan Laiwa, whose other appellation Chen Lihua is also the name of the compound in eastern Beijing where her museum and residence are situated, was born of a noble Manchu family of the Yellow Banner Clan. At the time of her birth the imperial system had just collapsed. Her family was not wealthy, and republican China had little sympathy for Manchurians. Despite all this, Chan Laiwa's childhood years were spent in the Summer Palace, where her love for imperial furniture, especially that made from red sandalwood, began.

In the museum are two old wardrobes belonging to her clan, and the story of how she managed to preserve them amounts almost to a thriller. The distinguishing feature of red sandalwood furniture is its being constructed in the same way as Lego, with no need for nails or other materials. At the onset of the "cultural revolution," therefore, Chan Laiwa's family were able to disassemble the two wardrobes and save them from Red Guards bent on destruction of the "old culture."

During that period Chan Laiwa moved to Hong Kong where many of her relatives were living. It pains her to remember the ten years of the "cultural revolution." As she observes: "So many true treasures of traditional culture disappeared! We Chinese often talk about ways to develop our nation and its culture, so we are all grateful to Deng Xiaoping and his policy of opening to the rest of the world.

"Most important to me is the preservation and development of Chinese culture. I have found and collected many items that have survived the vicissitudes of time, but I also create the new, reconstructing what has been lost so as to keep traditions alive."

The museum's collection is formidable, and visitors from more than 30 countries have made their first acquaintance with red sandalwood artifacts here. In the first hall stands an exact, gilded red sandalwood replica of the throne of Chinese emperors that stands in the Forbidden City. Along with 200 or more original pieces of Ming and Qing furniture are more than 1,000 recently made items that are, by virtue of the material used to make them and their intricate carvings, equally as valuable.

Apart from furniture, the museum also houses spectacular replicas: the Corner Tower of the Forbidden City for example, which took 300 craftsmen five years to complete. Other highlights include the pavilions from the Emperor's garden, siheyuan -- traditional Beijing dwellings -- thrones, screens and mirrors. These models are one-fifth the size of the originals.

The museum's most treasured possession is a set of 12 screens entitled "A Riverside Scene During the Qingming Festival." This is a red sandalwood replica of a famous painting by Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127) artist Zhang Zeduan now preserved in the Palace Museum. This 5,400 kg piece of work kept 500 artisans occupied for 8 months. "I do everything I can to restore examples of Chinese culture," says Chan Laiwa. It was her genuine enthusiasm and deep passion that convinced experts from the Forbidden City Museum to give her permission to replicate its treasures.

In order to live up to her main ideal of serving the people, one of Chan's forthcoming projects is to build an international university and hospital in Beijing. "The Chinese government strongly supports investors like me who help to finance the country's development," she affirms. One impressive item in her collection is a set of furniture made from simple plywood by Li Ruihuan, former CPPCC Chairman. Li learned carpentry during the "cultural revolution" when, along with many other intellectuals, he was sent to the countryside for "re-education through labor."

Chan Laiwa talks animatedly about her museum:

"Red sandalwood is not simply a material possession. It has far deeper significance. I have invested my energy and passion for Chinese culture in this museum as well as money. In order to obtain the best sandalwood my workers and I have been on eight trips to remote regions of Myanmar and Thailand. We frequently ran out of water and food, and were obliged to drink from rivers, and pick fruit from trees, despite the health risks. Local inhabitants would often warn us that the places we intended to go to were dangerous, telling us stories of boa constrictors huge and powerful enough to crush us. We nevertheless headed directly for areas where the best sandalwood could be found.."

A thousand workers from all parts of China produce pieces at the China Red Sandalwood Museum furniture workshop. Says Chan Laiwa, "We all share an appreciation of the grandeur, essence, and significance of red sandalwood artworks."

According to Chan Laiwa, the only way to ensure the highest quality of workmanship is to be involved at every stage. She personally examines each drawing proposal for prospective carvings, and goes to the workshops almost every day. She also enjoys polishing sandalwood to attain the level of sleekness she remembers from childhood.

"Human relations are very important to me. Our company works on the premise that all workers belong to one family and having the common aim of developing traditional Chinese culture, and acquainting the rest of the world with its treasures.

"The Red Sandalwood Museum of China has now been open for almost four years and has yet to make a profit. Proceeds from ticket sales are insufficient to pay staff salaries and routine maintenance costs." But Chan Laiwa is nonetheless optimistic. "I own other profitable companies that allow me to keep the museum running. I would really like to buy back all the traditional Chinese furniture in various overseas locations, but lack the necessary funds. I must be content with doing everything in my power to restore tradition and help create new masterpieces."

What do happiness and luxury mean to this lady who sleeps in a bed made of her beloved wood, and lives in a residence filled with red sandalwood furniture?

"In my view, luxury signifies the opportunity to preserve and develop traditional Chinese culture. I treasure each contribution that I make to China's development. My motto is: serve the people, serve the country, and work for the future. Agreed, a main aspect of my working life is earning money, but I don't regard it as something that really belongs to me: it is for my children and for society. I use money to train and educate people, and my children too. I want to give them a chance to work productively and achieve something rather than merely entertain themselves with aimless pursuits. This is the principle by which I live."

INESA PLESKACHEUSKAYA: Beijing bureau chief of the Belarusian national newspaper Belarus Today and National TV Channel ONT.