In China's billionaire circle, Chen Lihua is a name that cannot be ignored.
On February 29, 2020, Forbes China announced the list of the richest women in 2020, and among the 25 women on the list, Chen Lihua of Fuhua International Group ranked eighth with a wealth of 40.42 billion yuan.
It seems to be inconspicuous on the list of rich people, but the average age of the people on the list is 53 years old, and Chen Lihua's 79 years old is particularly eye-catching.
In fact, since 2010, Chen Lihua has been a "regular customer" of the major rich lists, and in 2015, with a net worth of 50.5 billion yuan, she became the richest woman in China for the first time.
Although in recent years, the wealth ranking has declined slightly, and even the name Chen Lihua is mentioned, many people feel unfamiliar, but if you talk about the chang'an club located in the prime location of Chang'an Avenue, adjacent to Tiananmen Square, I am afraid that everyone knows.
After all, to this day, the Chang'an Club still symbolizes status and wealth in the capital.
This club is the first real estate project that Chen Lihua has invested in in the mainland.
In addition to her legendary business life, her marriage to Elder Tang in "Journey to the West" is also a topic that can never be bypassed.
01
Chen Lihua was the Manchu Zhenghuang Banner, and both empress dowager Cixi of the late Qing Dynasty belonged to the Yehenara clan.
At one time, some people speculated that she had a direct blood relationship with Empress Dowager Cixi, but later Chen Lihua refuted rumors that there was no relationship, they were all rumors.
Although Chen Lihua was born in the Summer Palace, she belonged to the descendants of the fallen nobility, and her family was quite poor from an early age, and she dropped out of school early.
Forced to make a living, Chen Lihua worked everywhere to subsidize her family.
Chen Lihua is a cheerful and enthusiastic person who loves to make friends.
Emerging in the business circle was in early 1981, Chen Lihua heard that it was easier to make money doing real estate in Hong Kong, so she ran from Beijing to Hong Kong to engage in real estate investment through someone being brokered.
Some people say that Chen Lihua's first pot of gold was to speculate in Hong Kong, buying and selling 12 villas at a lower price than Huali; others said that Chen Lihua completed the original accumulation by reselling "furniture".
But these Chen Lihua themselves did not respond positively, which is still a mystery.
Chen Lihua, who mainly deals in real estate transactions, once founded Hong Kong Fuhua in Hong Kong and ran a prosperous business.
In the late 1980s, she felt that her career should be further improved in the mainland, so she decided to return to Beijing to look for business opportunities.
At the same time, Chen Lihua has gradually realized the strategic transfer from Hong Kong, setting up branches in Southeast Asian countries and Australia to carry out real estate investment business.
It is precisely because of her keen business sense that she survived the Asian financial crisis of the 1990s.
Referring to these past events, Chen Lihua herself does not feel that she is an "uncertain prophet", she said that in doing business, you must stand tall to see far.
It was precisely this gesture of building a tall house that led her to create the top private club in China.
At that time, Chen Lihua soon returned to Beijing and got a piece of land adjacent to Tiananmen Square to build the Chang'an Tower.
To know that this is the most elite plot of land in front of the Forbidden City in Beijing, it is closer to Tiananmen Square than the Oriental Square that Li Ka-shing got later, and Chen Lihua's strength is self-evident to be able to get such a hot piece of land.
However, before he could do much, he was informed that because the Asian Games were about to be held, the relevant approvals had to be suspended, and this wait was four years long.
During this period, people around Chen Lihua advised her to give up, but chen Lihua decided that the things she would never let go easily.
In 1992, when all the formalities were finally completed, Chen Lihua began to personally lead people to work day and night at the construction site for construction.
Chen Lihua, who is already keen to make friends, has felt the importance of having connections throughout the project.
Therefore, it was decided to spend a lot of money on the sixth floor of the Chang'an Building and establish it as the Chang'an Club.
In 1996, the club was officially established with a membership system, and Fok Ying Tung and Li Ka-shing were members of the club.
According to Chen Lihua, Beijing is becoming more and more open, and people from all over the world are coming.
Like those rich bosses who come to Beijing, there should be a clubhouse, and this member home must be built well, no matter who comes, they are very assured.
As a top clubhouse, the entry threshold of Changan Club can be described as quite high, at the beginning of its inception, the membership fee has been as high as 9,000 US dollars, in addition to the age of 45 to 55 years old, the company's assets should be more than 50 million.
However, after 2003, due to the gradual decline in the age of the rich, the age limit was lifted.
However, it must be recommended by an old member, and the membership fee has risen to $20,000.
In addition to the membership fee, members are required to pay a certain amount of annual fees each year.
Many rich people are racking their brains to have a membership card here, and at present, the club has more than 900 members.
02
After Chang'an Avenue, Chen Lihua successively got some eye-catching golden locations around Wangfujing, and built Liyuan Apartment, Lishan Building, and Fuhuayuan Community... But the investment that has the greatest impact on Beijing is certainly Jinbao Street.
Located near Wangfujing, Kampar Street is a place where many luxury cars are gathered, and the exhibition halls of lamborghini, Bugatti, Ferrari and other valuable vehicles are all here.
This Less than 1,000-meter Jinbao Street is the most cattle luxury car street in the country.
In addition, Campbell Street is home to high-end consumer venues such as top clubs, luxury hotels, and shopping malls, comparable to New York's Fifth Avenue.
Many people are curious about why Chen Lihua can get the prime location repeatedly, what is the business secret, Chen Lihua just smiled lightly, saying that business integrity is the first, and then it is to get along with people sincerely.
Indeed, whether it is a person or a businessman, integrity should be the first, and because of this, Chen Lihua has gradually improved her social status while having wealth.
In 2012, Time magazine in the United States announced the world's top 100 most influential people, and Chen Lihua was among them.
Time magazine commented on her: Fuhua International has brought chen lihua wealth, but what has really made her successful is her understanding of people, dedication to education and the arts, and dedication to philanthropy.
In 1998, Hubei suffered from floods, and Chen Lihua immediately donated materials and millions of relief funds to the disaster area.
In the 2010 Yushu earthquake, Chen Lihua immediately organized employees to donate money and materials to the disaster area.
Recently, in the flood situation in Henan, Chen Lihua donated tens of millions.
According to statistics, Chen Lihua has funded tens of millions of funds for education, sports, public security and disaster relief, and the materials donated are countless, but for such a long time, she has not hyped it up.
This is also the reason why Time Magazine gave Chen Lihua the most positive title.
But many people know Chen Lihua, not because of her wealth and status, nor because of how much charity she has done, but because of her private life.
03
In 1990, Chen Lihua was married to Chi Chongrui, who was more than 10 years younger than her, which caused a sensation at the time and was called "amazing marriage".
After all, Chen Lihua was 49 years old at the time, divorced and with three children.
Chi Chongrui was only 38 years old at the time, had no marriage history, and was becoming popular all over the country for playing the Tang monk in the hit drama "Journey to the West".
One is a film and television actor, and the other is the richest woman in China, such a combination inevitably makes people have reverie, and even many people attack Chi Chongrui, believing that he "eats soft rice" and has a purpose.
So how did they come together?
Chi Chongrui was born in a family of five generations of Peking Opera, and due to objective social reasons, he was unable to embark on the path of Peking Opera.
After several twists and turns, he was selected by his unit to be sent to the Shanghai Theater Academy for further study at the age of 28.
After graduation, Chi Chongrui, who looked good, chose to be an actor, but his love for Peking Opera in his bones never changed.
Coincidentally, Chen Lihua was also quite fascinated by Peking Opera, and in 1988, she went to the Peking Opera House in China to see a play and met Chi Chongrui.
Chen Lihua fell in love with this gentle and elegant "Tang monk" at first sight.
Chen Lihua admitted in a later interview that she was the first to chase Chi Chongrui, but when she really entered the marriage, she specially sought the opinions of her children, and Chen Lihua's children respected the choices she made.
Thus, this enviable married life began.
After marriage, Chi Chongrui gradually withdrew from his acting career, mainly to assist Chen Lihua's career.
Someone asked Chi Chongrui whether the career-oriented Chen Lihua would also make him feel pressure in life, and Chi Chongrui only smiled and said: I like a strong woman like her, not to mention that I don't feel any pressure in life.
The two have always been respectful and respectful, Chen Lihua is called Mr. Chi Chongrui Chi, and Chi Chongrui and Chen Lihua are called "you" when they talk.
Chen Lihua said that outsiders may not believe that over the years, she has not made a joke with Chi Chongrui.
The two people have been in love for thirty years, and their love is as good as ever, in Chi Chongrui's words, because the two have the same direction and common topic.
In addition to the Peking Opera that opened their fate, rosewood also became the most important part of the two people's lives.
04
Chen Lihua said that rosewood is like its own life, and with rosewood there is a pursuit and a spiritual pillar.
In 1999, she invested 200 million yuan to build the world's only "China Rosewood Museum", with Chi Chongrui as deputy director.
In addition to Chen Lihua's collection of more than 300 pieces of rosewood furniture, there are also miniature ancient Chinese architectural landscapes: the corner tower of the Forbidden City, the archway of Longquan Temple in Wutai Mountain, Shanxi, 320 dragons with different forms, exquisite round carvings and through carvings, which are rare in the world.
Because rosewood is one inch long in a hundred years, it is difficult to grow in hundreds of years, so it is very rare, in order to find rosewood, Chen Lihua's expenditure on it can be described as countless, and even almost took his life.
Once, Chen Lihua went to Myanmar to look for rosewood, got off the plane and walked for eight hours without seeing people, walking and seeing a tree that was particularly large, she arranged for her entourage to take a look.
As a result, as soon as people went down, there was a woman who frantically shouted and ran to the side of the car, fixed her eyes on all the wasps, she immediately asked her companions to run to the car, the black pressed wasp blocked the view of the car forward, and drove out for thirty or forty miles before dissipating, at this time Chen Lihua's face was completely swollen.
Going to India to buy rosewood, I also experienced swarms of snakes and pythons, but these dangers could not stop Chen Lihua's heart to find rosewood.
In addition, Chen Lihua has made great efforts to restore the 16 old city gates of the old Beijing "inner nine outer seven" in the ratio of 1:10.
For ten years, I would go to the factory every day and work with the workers on the drawings.
Knees on the ground, bleeding out pus and sticking to the soil ash, now they all left scars, but in Chen Lihua's eyes, it was like a medal.
In an interview with Lu Yu, Chen Lihua, who is 77 years old, took Lu Yu to the Zhengyang Gate model, she excitedly jumped on it like a child, and told Lu Yu with a proud tone that there was no problem with 100 people standing on it, every door and window could be pushed open, and there was not a single nail in the entire model.
During the whole process, Chi Chongrui gently supported Chen Lihua behind her and gave her protection.
Chen Lihua took Lu Yu and others to walk in the factory for two hours in a row, just so that everyone could see her painstaking works.
In order to protect the inheritance of the history and culture of old Beijing from generation to generation, and in order to protect the roots of his own psychology to be eternal, all the efforts and bitterness, only Chen Lihua herself knows.
Chen Lihua frankly said that 10 yuan a day is enough, what clothes are made twice, winter clothes to do ten sets, has not changed clothes, is very low-key.
But all the persistence, after all, has paid off.
When experts such as Shan Shiyuan, consultant of the Palace Museum, saw the restored old Beijing city gate, they could not help but sigh: This is really a hidden dragon and a crouching tiger.
And thus got a special approval note that can enter and exit the Forbidden City warehouse at will, and Shan Lao told Chen Lihua: Do as much as you can.
Chen Lihua said that the China Rosewood Museum is not its own, but the Forbidden City.
Although he is a businessman, he should put all his funds on this rosewood and leave it to the country. If you don't do something in life, it's equal to nothing.
Nowadays, Chen Lihua and Chi Chongrui go to the rosewood factory every day to study the details of carving with the workers and eat with their families in the evening.
There is an unwritten rule in Chen Lihua's home that three generations of grandchildren will enjoy breakfast and dinner together, and if Chen Lihua comes home late at night, everyone will always wait for her.
The atmosphere in the home is very harmonious, and many outsiders will speculate that such a family will be full of disputes.
But perhaps, those are the parts of their own lives that are missing as "screenwriters" made up by others, but in fact, there are not so many dramatic conflicts in Chen Lihua's life.
Not for useless things, how to send a voice.
Fading the aura of fame and profit, there are people who understand themselves, there are things to do that they love, and Chen Lihua's legendary life continues.