Chen Lihua
Chen Lihua | |
|---|---|
| 陳麗華 | |
 Chen Lihua in 2012 | |
| Born | Template:Birth year and age Summer Palace, Beijing, China |
| Other names | Chan Laiwa |
| Citizenship | China |
| Occupation | Chairwoman of Fuwah International Group |
| Spouse | Chi Zhongrui |
Chen Lihua (; born 1941), also referred to as Chan Laiwa in Cantonese, is the founder and current chairperson of Fuwah International Group, recognized as one of the largest commercial real estate developers based in Beijing. In 2014, she was ranked by Forbes as the tenth wealthiest individual on the Chinese mainland, the richest female entrepreneur in China, and one of only nineteen female billionaires globally who amassed their fortune independently. The following year, entrepreneur Zhou Qunfei overtook her as the wealthiest woman in China.
Chen is also the founder and curator of the China Red Sandalwood Museum.
Early life
Chen was born in 1941 at the Summer Palace located in Beijing. She hails from a distinguished Manchu lineage dating back to the Qing dynasty. After the fall of the Qing dynasty, her family lost their properties and experienced significant financial hardship.
Rise from poverty
Due to economic difficulties, Chen had to discontinue her high school education and began working by repairing furniture. In the early 1980s, she expanded her business activities to Hong Kong, where she engaged in purchasing and reselling furniture, which enabled her to amass sufficient funds to acquire twelve villas.
Upon returning to Beijing during the late 1980s, she ventured into real estate development and established Fuwah International Group in the early 1990s. Although real estate remains its core focus, Fuwah also has diversified interests including agriculture, tourism, electronics, hospitality, and the production of red sandalwood art pieces.
In recent times, Chen has transferred operational responsibilities to her son so she can dedicate more attention to her museum endeavors.
Cultural contributions and philanthropy
In 1999, Chen established the China Red Sandalwood Museum with an investment totaling 20 billion Yuan. Covering an area of 25,000 square meters, the museum embodies her lifelong admiration for red sandalwood—a passion rooted in her childhood experiences at the Summer Palace. She has contributed sandalwood artworks to various museums across the globe.
Renowned for her commitment to social causes, Chen made charitable donations amounting to 265 million yuan in 2004 and 130 million yuan in 2005 aimed at supporting disaster relief initiatives.
Personal life
Chen is married to Chinese actor Chi Zhongrui and they have three children: one son and two daughters. She currently lives on the premises of the China Red Sandalwood Museum.