china

BMW M3 Matte Editon for China

While some automakers roll out special editions around the entire globe, the BMW Group has of late opted to create individual specials for specific markets. Witness, as examples, the Trusardi edition 5GT (exclusive to Italy), the Z4 Silver Top edition (Japan), the M3 Pure edition (Australia) and the M3 Frozen Gray edition (United States). BMW's subsidiaries Mini and Rolls-Royce have followed the same formula with the Mini Cooper Mat Edition (France) and Yas Eagle edition Phantom (Abu Dhabi), and now BMW has announced a new special edition M3 exclusive to China.

The M3 Matte Edition packs the same V8 engine and everything else as the standard model, but is distinguished by its special matte black paint scheme, offset by black chrome trim and high-gloss 19-inch alloy wheels. Inside there's carbon fiber and red trim, but you'll have to live in China and act fast to get your hands on one.

Tags: bmw, bmw m3, bmw m3 matte edition, china, luxury car, matte, special edition

Petra Nemcova Honors Vivienne Tam at NY Fashion Week Fall 2011

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Celebrity Shopping

Czech Republic-born Supermodel Petra Nemcova, and one of the newest castmembers of Dancing with the Stars, honored Vivienne Tam at her Fall 2011 Collection show at NY Fashion Week this afternoon by wearing an elegant Chinese-themed dress designed by Tam. The dress is symbolic in red, which is the color of happiness and prosperity.

After the Vivienne Tam show, Nemcova met with Luxist to discuss what she thought of the collection.

"There were three things that I loved," the stunningly beautiful Nemcova told Luxist. "The clothes are very, very structured, which I love. You can see the quality of it. So the structure and quality, and I love the sparkles. They were just amazing. I also liked the fringe on some of the dresses. The structure, the quality, and the sparkles were really standing out. It was beautiful."

Gallery: Vivienne Tam Fall 2011 Collection at NY Fashion Week

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Tags: awards-main, China, Dancing with the Stars, Fashion Week, luxist-awards, New York Fashion Week, NY Fashion Week, NY Fashion Week 2011, Petra Nemcova, petra+nemcova+2011, petra+nemcova+fashion+week+2011, petranemcova2011, petranemcovafashionweek2011, Vivienne Tam, VIvienne Tam Fall 2011, vivienne+tam+fashion+week+2011, viviennetamfashionweek2011

New Wine Deal Has Chinese Government Investing Directly In Bordeaux

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

China isn't just collecting Bordeaux wine, Chinese investors are buying land and wineries in Bordeaux. Decanter reports that Philippe Raoux, owner of Chateau d'Arsac in Margaux and wine tourism complex La Winery, sold his Lalande-de-Pomerol estate, Chateau Viaud, to Cofco, a company 100% owned by the Chinese government. According to the article the deal followed three years of negotiations.

The sale was part of a larger business deal, Cofco will also distribute Chateau d'Arsac in China, along with other Bordeaux wines from Raoux's merchant business. The company will also bring Raoux's Signe Œnologique (wine star sign) concept to China to use in wine education. Raoux's son Pierre has moved to Beijing to work with the company to create a Bordeaux branded wine aimed specifically at the Chinese market.

Several Chinese companies and families have invested in Bordeaux in the last several years but recently the partnerships have more of a reciprocal nature. As we reported back in 2009, Chateau Lafite Rothschild formed a partnership with CITIC, China's largest state-owned investment company, to develop a winery on the peninsula of Penglai in Shandong province, an area said to be China's Bordeaux.

Interest in wine in China has risen dramatically over the past few years and with its large population and spending power that interest is only expected to increase.

Tags: bordeaux, bordeaux wine, chateau de viaud, china, cofco

In China Selling Empty Bottles of Chateau Lafite Rotschild Is A Booming Business

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

We already knew that Chateau Lafite Rothschild was hot in China but apparently the Bordeaux is so popular that counterfeiters have been scavenging the empty bottles to refill them. The Telegraph reports on the shadowy and lucrative world of China's bottle dealers. The article quotes one dealer who offers the equivalent of over $400 for a good vintage bottle of Lafite Rothschild in top condition. His firm collected empties from bars and restaurants in Shanghai and Beijing.

Alcohol forgeries have long been a problem in China with premium spirits, such as Maotai being frequently faked. Ice wine is also a popular target for fraud. Wine dealers and fine restaurants are taking precautions, inspecting bottles careful for signs of tampering before buying but some older wines tend to be re-corked making unmasking the refilled bottles even more of a challenge.

Tags: bordeaux, bordeaux wine, chateau lafite rothschild, Chateau Lafite-Rothschild, china, wine fraud

China's Growing Appetite For Private Planes

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wings

The growing Chinese appetite for luxury goods has boosted many different sectors. The next might be the private aviation industry. Recent reports says that China is lifting many of its restrictions on airspace, allowing private jets to travel more freely in and out of the country. Private flights used to require a week's notice but now flight plans can be approved more quickly. Part of the reason for the loosening of the rules is that Chinese executives are now investing in more places around the world and need faster access.

Manufacturers of helicopters and small private planes are moving in to the territory. According to the AFP, France's Dassault Falcon just moved its Asia office from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. Although there are only around 150 business jets in China, it is expected that will change very rapidly. Eventually Dassault plans to sell around 10 business jets a year in China, at a list price of between $30 and $50 million. Private jet maker Gulfstream already has a strong foothold in the country with a 63 percent market share on large-cabin business jets in China, including Hong Kong and Macau.

The interest in private jets will also probably extend to makers of helicopters and smaller planes including Eurocopter, Bell, Robinson, Agusta and Cessna. It will also be boom time for pilot training and could benefits resorts that will be able to construct helipads and offer weekend getaways for the growing wealthy Chinese population.

Tags: china, dassault, gulfsteam, private jets

Los Angeles Art Show Focuses On China

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Events, Art

The 16th Annual Los Angeles Art Show gets under way January 20-23 at the Los Angeles Convention Center and this year the focus in on China. Chinese collectors have entered the global art marketplace in a big way and Chinese artists have also started to become collected more widely around the world. The China Today program at the Los Angeles Art Show includes a curated exhibition, exhibitions by prominent Chinese galleries lecurres and film screening. A special exhibit, 'Three Walkers – Crossing Over' presented and curated by Mr. Hu Zhen of Guangzhou-based 53 Art Museum and sponsored by Asian Art Magazine Art Gallery Magazine features celebrated artists Feng Feng, Liu Qing-yuan and Qin Jin. China Today provides visitors an opportunity for to see what's really hot in Asian Art.

The Los Angeles Art Show Symposia Series offers afternoon lectures and special events centered on contemporary art, fine prints and choosing art for your home. This highly respected series brings together art and design experts and professionals. Events included artist Tao Dong Dong discussing his work and being a contemporary artist in today's China; a panel of feminist art in Los Angeles; a panel discussion on printmaking and a conversation on art in architecture sponsored by Dwell Magazine.

Tags: china, los angeles, los angeles art show

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InterContinental Launches Luxury Boutique Brand in Asia-Pacific

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHC) has opened a Hotel Indigo, its upscale boutique brand, in downtown Shanghai, China.

"The decision to introduce Hotel Indigo into China demonstrates our commitment to the booming hotel industry here while taking our leadership position to the next level," says Keith Barr, managing director of IHG Greater China.

Hotel Indigo Shanghai on the Bund, is first Hotel Indigo to open thus far in the region. Centrally located at the southern end of the Bund, sitting directly on the Huangpu River front, Hotel Indigo offers a unique space that adds to the local neighborhood and culture in a creative, sustainable fashion. The 184-room property on waterfront property features spectacular views of the historic Bund, Yu Gardens and the ultra modern Pudong new area, all first-class dining, entertainment and shopping destinations.

Gallery: Hotel Indigo opens in Shanghai

Tags: boutique hotel, China, Hotel Indigo, intercontinental, intercontinental hotels group, luxury hotels, Shanghai, travel

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New Green Hotel Planned For Shanghai

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Green

URBN Hotels & Resorts is collaborating with Vanke, China's largest residential real estate developer, to construct a new green hotel in Asia. The boutique hotel is part of a larger commercial, retail and residential development in the Sanlin district of Pudong in Shanghai, China. The project will include 55 hotel rooms, 50 URBN serviced residences, and dining, wellness and art spaces.

URBN Hotels & Resorts created China's first carbon-neutral hotel in Shanghai's Jingan district. The goal for the new hotel is to go beyond carbon-neutral and make the hotel the first positive-impact hotel in China. There are several ideas being developed which will be revealed over the course of the 18-month construction period but including increasing the biodiversity of the site and sending out water that is cleaner than the water from the city's water supply. The hotel will aim for LEED and China Green Star certifications. The URBN Hotel Pudong hopes to surpass the 35% energy savings target hit by the first URBN Hotel. The hotel will open in Spring 2012.

[via Breaking Travel News]

Tags: china, green hotel, leed, shanghai, sustainable hotel

Washington's Opera Ball To Be Hosted By Chinese Embassy

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Events, Charity

The Washington National Opera has announced that next year's Opera Ball which is scheduled for May 7, 2011 will be held for the first time at the Embassy of the People's Republic of China under the patronage of Ambassador Zhang Yesui and Madame Chen Naiqing. The Opera Ball will be chaired by Susan E. Lehrman, the Washington philanthropist who has also chaired the Opera Ball at France (2008), Germany (2009) and Russia (2010).

The black-tie event begins with a series of dinners hosted by embassies throughout the city, followed by entertainment, dancing and desserts at the Chinese chancery. The ball is the Washington National Opera's most significant annual fundraiser. Opera Ball packages (embassy dinner and Ball) start at $1,000 per guest, and sponsorship packages start at $5,000.

Tags: china, chinese embassy, fundraiser, Placido Domingo, washington dc, washington national opera

Chateau Lafite Rothschild Puts Chinese Symbol on the Bottle

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

We've heard a lot recently about the growing appetite for wine, especially French wine. Decanter reports that the 2008 vintage of Chateau Lafite Rothschild (the Luxist Awards winner for Best International Red Wine) will bear the Chinese symbol for the figure eight on the bottle. The symbol is in celebration of Chateau Lafite Rothschild's partnership with CITIC, China's largest state-owned investment company on the peninsula of Penglai in Shandong province, an area said to be China's Bordeaux.

A spokesperson for Lafite Rothschild commented that the "shape of the symbol seems to offer a perfect representation of the slopes of the vineyard and commemorates the launch of our Chinese wine project." The small symbol might also help the wine be even more popular in China, the figure eight is considered very auspicious. The Decanter article also mentions the speculation that Château Mouton-Rothschild may choose a Chinese artist to design the label for its 2008 vintage.

Tags: chateau lafite rothschild, chateau mouton rothschild, china, rothschild

PuLi: The First Urban Resort And Spa In Downtown Shanghai

by Susan Kime (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Spas

The urban resort idea is growing in the United States. I have written about it recently for Luxist, regarding the Millennium Towers in San Francisco. This residence hotel offers a type of experiential, urban sanctuary that is particularly needful, especially in electric, busy, hyper-urban settings.

This concept is new in the Far East, and the PuLi Hotel and Spa is the first luxury urban resort in the city of Shanghai, and in China. The 26-floor, 209 room and 20 suite hotel is centrally located, in the heart of Shanghai's business, shopping, sightseeing and entertainment districts. There are also views of JingAn Park, The hotel is also located by sky bridge to the new multi-use development Park Place..

"We have been very successful with this new idea," said Yvonne Mak, Director of Sales And Marketing for PuLi. "The urban resort fits in so well with what our guests want: the busier the city, the more they need a sanctuary. Our goal is to offer an experiential oasis for the guests, so they can feel they are miles away from the intensity of city life that is in reality, right outside the hotel doors. Therefore, the spa, the dining, the architectural and interior design of the hotel all work together to exude a kind of peace and simplicity."

Tags: Anantara Spa, china, china travel, JingAn Park, PuLi Hotel, Shanghai, Urban Resort Concepts, Urban Resorts

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Cathay Pacific's Private China Tours

by Bobbie Leigh (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Art

There's a great option for traveling in China if you don't choose to be a groupie. Lots of people are used to traveling alone, but when it comes to China, they feel obliged to join a group. If you are a little intimidated by traveling in China on your own, Cathay Pacific's China Experience Tours could be the answer. Unlike many group tours, at each location you get to see the sites but a neat extra is that you will have special access to some sort of experience that's next to impossible to arrange on your own.

Tags: Beijing, china, China tours, china travel, Forbidden City, non-group travel, Xian

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Langham Place and Langham Hotels: A Brand New Road Where East Meets West

by Susan Kime (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, By Design

Here is a trend, with a brand worth watching: Langham Hotels International, an older, established international hotel brand is in process of creating and operationalizing a newer, edgier dimension with Langham Place.

Above is their new Langham Place in Pazhou, an island near Guangzhou -- near Macau and Hong Kong on the South China Sea. It will open in 2013, as the only hotel connected to the Guangzhou International Convention and Exhibition Center, site of the Canton Import and Export Fair and Asia's largest Exhibition space. The 488-room property will feature interiors from world-renowned interior design company, Yabu Pushelberg, who has been responsible many projects in luxury retail and hospitality brands within the last decade. There will be at least nine Langham Places opening in the coming few years.

Recently, I interviewed Bob Van de Oord, Senior Vice President of Sales And Marketing for Langham Hotels International, about the process of expanding a brand into the 21st century, a particularly demanding task, as the Langham's root systems were firmly planted in Victorian London in 1865.

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Tags: china, guangzhou, langham hotel, langham place, Pune

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Is Ferrari's New $265,000 Supercar an Accident-Prone Firetrap? [video]

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Crimes and Misdemeanors, Video

Is there a curse on Ferrari's new $265,000 supercar, the stunning 458 Italia? In the mere 90 days that have elapsed since the first models were delivered to well-heeled customers, 458s the world over have been the victim of an inordinate amount of crashes, fires and other mishaps, the sheer number of which seem to indicate a mechanical flaw rather than mere idiotic driving. Their frequency and severity – such as the spontaneous combustion of one example on a Paris street (above) – has prompted Ferrari reps to declare that "We are taking it very seriously and investigating each incident" but they have declined to comment further or admit to any production flaw. Rumors abound however that faulty gas overflow tubes and vapor systems are to blame. Designed by famed styling house Pininfarina, the 458 has a 4.5-litre V8 engine boosting it from 0–62 mph in 3.4 seconds with a top speed of 202 mph. There have been 11 recorded wrecks in all, making for nearly $3 million in trashed exotics. Check out a timeline of the 458 Italia incidents and a video of the one that recently caught fire in China after the jump:

[via JamesList]

Tags: car crash, China, Ferrari, Ferrari 458 Italia, Paris, Pininfarina, supercar, Switzerland

Continue reading “Is Ferrari's New $265,000 Supercar an Accident-Prone Firetrap? [video]”

Recreation of Salvador Dali's Home Town To Be Built In China

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Art, Real Estate Developments

A Chinese businessman is planning to his own Neverland ranch on an island near Shanghai and now comes news that Salvador Dalí's home town may be recreated by Chinese developers. The Costa Brava fishing port of Cadaqués will be recreated in Xiamen Bay, where mainland China looks out towards Taiwan.

The Guardian reports that architects from developers China Merchants Zhangzhou visited Cadaqués in June to check it out, taking measurements and photographs so that they can recreate the charming seaside town complete with narrow streets and whitewashed buildings and a harbor full of little fishing boats. The replica town will sit on over 100 acres of land with a similar coastline and is expected to have room for approximately 15,000 tourists who want a European experience without the travel. Other replica towns recreating English villages and other European locations are already popular.

The developers plan to add art to their town and may have local Spanish artists show their work there. The Chinese developers also plan to add an artificial island. The Guardian article says that there was a prior attempt to recreate the town in the Dominican Republic but because Cadaqués wasn't consulted it isn't recognized as an official replica. Given Dali's love of both money and whimsy, we think he'd approve.

Tags: cadaques, china, costa brava, salvador dali

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