A woman appreciates a painting during the exhibition. Photo: Courtesy of Liu Tao

The 2021 International Antique Art Fair opened recently in Beijing, marking the first of its kind held in a comprehensive bonded zone, showcasing 3,000 pieces from over 70 international collection agencies and galleries.

The fair will last for three months with an exhibition area of more than 10,000 square meters. More than 70 percent of the exhibits come from the US, UK, France, Singapore, Japan and other regions with a total value of nearly 5 billion yuan ($784 million). The pieces are on display on site and online exhibitions are held at the same time.

The fair is an important initiative of the National Foreign Cultural Trade Base to promote the return of overseas cultural relics by taking advantage of the "bonded, duty-free and permit-free" policy of the Beijing Tianzhu Comprehensive Free Trade Zone, and to achieve the innovative development of international cultural exhibitions and trading business in the Comprehensive Free Trade Zone.

So far, the National Foreign Cultural Trade Base in the Shunyi district of Beijing, location of the fair, has introduced more than 60 high-quality cultural enterprises with favorable policies.

The antique art trade is crucial to the high-quality development of Beijing's cultural industry and vital to the construction of the National Cultural Center in Beijing, as well as a component of Beijing's 14th Five-Year Plan and 2035 Vision, officials from the Beijing government remarked at the opening ceremony.

The event has been held for 13 consecutive years making significant contributions to the prosperity and development of the market of antiques in Beijing. 

With the opening of the fair, the International Antiques and Artwork Bonded Trade Platform was officially launched to establish a complete supply chain, covering international cultural relics and art exhibitions, auctions, storage and logistics, and art financing online.

In the future, the platform will bring together top art institutions and collectors from around the world, open year-round art exhibitions, display cultural relics and works of art as well as art trading, to support the highest standards of international art trading within China.