Pop singer Sun Nan's new store to promote culture

Sun Nan, one of China's most popular singers, fell in love with traditional art and culture and established the Sun Nan Life brand in Shanghai to share his passion with the public.

The Sun Nan Life boutique store opened on the Bund on July 19. The event featured calligraphy artist Zhang Guoqiang, who created inscriptions on ceramic objects.

"We plan to present a work of art or craft from China's intangible cultural heritage here every month, such as purple clay pottery, tea culture and so on," says Fu Yong, the company's CEO.

Sun Nan Life also introduced its boutique hotel chain on the same day, where the decor will feature traditional aesthetics and offer Chinese-style service.

Sun couldn't attend the launches in person as he was performing on tour. The singer and songwriter has been active in China's pop music scene since the 1990s, with millions of albums sold, and is a frequent performer at the Chinese New Year gala shows on State broadcaster CCTV. He shared his stories of falling in love with traditional art via a video link with the media.

Sun has four children from two marriages. The kids previously attended international schools in Beijing where the emphasis was placed on freedom, but they needed to learn more about other aspects of life, he says.