Former China's richest woman, Chen Lihua: Leaving rosewood for future generations is more meaningful than leaving money

On April 5, 2026, Chen Lihua, the President of the Beijing Overseas Chinese Merchants Association, the Honorary Chairman of Fuhua International Group, and the Director of the China Red Sandalwood Museum, passed away at the age of 85. As the founding president of the Beijing Overseas Chinese Merchants Association, Chen Lihua, with a strong sense of responsibility and broad influence, helped gather the strength of overseas Chinese merchants; she actively built platforms for exchanges and cooperation at home and abroad. She led the broad ranks of overseas Chinese merchants to take root in the capital Beijing, serve the overall interests of the country, and actively contribute to the development of economic and social progress. By setting an example through her actions, she fulfilled her social responsibilities and inspired the chamber to devote itself to public welfare and charity, as well as cultural heritage, fully demonstrating the担当 of overseas Chinese merchants.

In 2021, China Overseas Chinese Network, together with China-Singapore Video, launched the “Overseas Chinese Merchants’ Way” series. In the very first episode, it interviewed Chen Lihua, who had once been China’s female tycoon. Though the person has passed away, this classic piece is being republished; let us once again listen to what Ms. Chen Lihua has to say about her feelings for her country and home.

The Way of Overseas Chinese Merchants — Chen Lihua

“In the future, I hope to build an Old Beijing Cultural Park, and place the city gate works made of red sandalwood inside for the public to see, creating a new cultural calling card for Beijing.”

“In the future, I hope to build an Old Beijing Cultural Park, and place the city gate works made of red sandalwood inside for the public to see, creating a new cultural calling card for Beijing.” Chen Lihua, Honorary Chairman of the China Overseas Chinese Merchants Association and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Fuhua International Group, revealed the extent of her love for red sandalwood in her conversation with reporters.

Chen Lihua left Beijing in 1980 to develop in Hong Kong. After returning to the mainland in 1986, she established the China Red Sandalwood Museum in Beijing. “In 1986, I received a warm meeting from Deng Yichao, then Chairwoman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference. At that time, she held my hand and told me to come back.”

Recalling the meeting, Chen Lihua said, “Deng Sister’s hands were very warm. This encounter made me feel the warmth of home, because my roots are still in the mainland.” After discussing with her family, Chen Lihua decided that the whole family would return to the mainland, throw themselves into the construction of New Beijing, and she also became a model of overseas Chinese merchants who invested and developed after returning to the mainland in the 1980s.

Having succeeded in business, Chen Lihua then made another bold decision—to shift the focus of her work toward the preservation and transmission of red sandalwood culture.

Chen Lihua said, “After returning from Hong Kong to Beijing, I set up a red sandalwood furniture factory. At the time, Beijing was going to host the Asian Games, and I really wanted to do something for the Asian Games. So I submitted a proposal to the Beijing municipal government to make a red sandalwood carving screen with dragons for use by the official for receiving foreign guests.”

The former Vice President of the Palace Museum, Dan Shiyuan, together with two other nationally recognized experts in cultural relic appraisal, Wang Shixiang and Zhu Jiayun, then went to Chen Lihua’s warehouse to conduct the appraisal. “The instant the warehouse door was opened, the experts were astonished by the quantity of red sandalwood stored there. When they saw the red sandalwood screens I planned to donate, they were extremely excited and supported me in using red sandalwood to replicate the cultural relics of the Palace Museum.”

The recognition from the three senior gentlemen was a tremendous encouragement for Chen Lihua, while also making her even more determined to engage in the research and transmission of red sandalwood culture. During the subsequent long period of time, Chen Lihua personally went to the Palace Museum to carefully study and measure the size of every warehouse and every cultural relic.

“Sometimes, if I didn’t have a ruler, I would use a strand of hair to measure. The purpose was to ensure that when replicating these cultural relics with red sandalwood, it would be exactly right—one hundred percent faithful.” Chen Lihua said, her gaze unwavering and resolute.

According to Chen Lihua, as of 2021, she and her team had already made more than 20k red sandalwood artworks, and exhibited more than 990 of them at the China Red Sandalwood Museum in Beijing. In 2019, she also opened the Hengqin branch of the China Red Sandalwood Museum in Zhuhai.

From 2008 to 2016, over those eight years, Chen Lihua’s team used red sandalwood in a 10:1 ratio to replicate “Nine Inside and Seven Outside” old city gates of Old Beijing—16 gates in total—and also 10 corner towers.

Chen Lihua frankly admitted that her childhood impressions of the city gates of Old Beijing led her to decide to do this. Experts at the Palace Museum, Zhao Chongmao, Puxuelin, and Wang Zhongjie, also helped find drawings, archival materials, and so on.

“At that time, Old Zhao (Zhao Chongmao) told me, ‘If you’re going to do this, it will cost even more than building a city gate!’” But Chen Lihua still insisted. She personally studied the drawings and materials, and worked with the workers day and night; only then did she vividly recreate these old city gates and corner towers of Old Beijing.

Chen Lihua said, “I always feel that we should leave something behind. Rather than leaving money for future generations, it’s better to leave these cultural treasures our ancestors gave us for them. Because this is a form of inheritance.” She was very gratified, and her family also believed it was meaningful and fully supported her.

Chen Lihua has spent 35 years developing on the mainland, and those 35 years are exactly the stage when China’s economy has been soaring and developing rapidly. “China is my home. No matter how many generations come in the future, my children will remain steadfast in China’s roots and soul. Our country has developed from a state of poverty and nothing to the present—this is a very great achievement. We hope that generation after generation will keep the world of the family and the country in their hearts.”

Source: China Overseas Chinese Network

Original title: “Chen Lihua, the former China’s female tycoon: Leaving red sandalwood to future generations is more meaningful than leaving money”

Editor: Han Jiaojiao

Chief Editor: Wang Shanshan