Living museum of beautiful woods

Deep in the Beijing suburb of Shunyi is a tiny boutique hotel with a pedigreed collection that many museums would kill for. Yet, it is an establishment that actually has an extremely select client list - those who really appreciate antiques. Han Bingbin gets a firsthand look.

Guests at Lv Garden dine on red sandalwood tables intricately inlaid with mother-of-pearl, or sleep in antique alcove beds framed by rosewood carvings. They may lounge on rare antique sets of ebony viceroy chairs, or relax on a single deer-horn chair, previously reserved only for the highest Manchu nobility.

The best way to appreciate antique furniture is tactile. You have to look at the lustrous patina that can only come with age, admire the grains of wood solidly fused, and appreciate the workmanship that craftsmen of the past invested into each and every piece.