Reuters talks to some Chinese collectors of classical works and finds swelling pride in their market prowess:

“The market has been quite good,” said Hangzhou based Chinese dealer and collector Tao Xiaomin, who was bidding at the sales. “In the first half of the year, (traditional) Chinese paintings have experienced a boom and records have fallen.”

“The classical Chinese paintings market is dominated completely by Chinese buyers now,” said Taiwan collector and dealer Michael Wang. “The best works are now being sold in China, with the Chinese auction houses having overtaken Christie’s and Sotheby’s for traditional and classical works.”

Classical Paintings at Christie’s in Hong Kong (Reuters)