By Heather J. Hasan

Huge, mythical beasts with piercing eyes and gigantic, roaring mouths stand guard at many of China’s most important buildings and ancient structures. The name of these imposing creatures is “Fu Dogs” or Rui Shi (”auspicious dog” in Mandarin), also known as Imperial Guardian Lions.

Started during the Han Dynasty (206 B.C. – 220 A.D.), the tradition of placing two large statues of male and female lions near the entrance of an establishment was intended to ward off evil spirits and protect from enemies, and thieves. These statues were created from marble, bronze, iron, and granite and the cost was expensive, therefore only the wealthy could afford Fu Dog protection. Because of this, Fu Dogs became a symbol of wealth and prosperity. Read the rest of “Rui Shi - The Imperial Guardian Lions” or post a comment

It is true: China has a large market area, where you can make a very decent living, but don’t expect miracles. Rob Groeneweg believes thát is the essence of doing business with China. His friendship with the Chinese Anne Xu is what started his hands-on experience; selling Chinese art on the Dutch market, through his newly founded business, Xuro. The sale of Chinese art still needs time to flourish, the demand on Xuro’s services as a business developer on the other hand grows rapidly. “Lots of entrepreneurs only think of China’s potential, having 1.3 billion consumers, and therefore are too eager. However, a bad deal remains a bad deal. Don’t be too greedy. The real market potential often is much smaller then you think.”

Working for Cross Ocean Cosco Container Lines, Rob comes into contact with China in 1990, because this company has been working with Chinese employees and trainees for decades. “In the Netherlands, there are approximately 8.000 Chinese students and they Read the rest of “China and the Art of Xuro” or post a comment