China's richest woman, Chen Lihua, passes away: Over 50 billion yuan in wealth draws attention, inheritance distribution becomes the focus, Chi Zongrui may succeed

Chinese business legend and founder of Fuhua International Group, Chen Lihua, passed away in Beijing due to illness at the age of 85. This female entrepreneur, renowned for her collection of Zitan art and real estate development,’s life trajectory reflects the changes of China’s over forty years of reform and opening up. As the eighth-generation descendant of the Yehe Nara clan, she started from repairing furniture and ultimately built a business empire spanning real estate, culture and arts, finance, and other fields, with her personal wealth having topped China’s female billionaire list multiple times.

Born in 1941 in the Summer Palace area of Beijing, Chen Lihua was of Manchu Plain Yellow Banner descent, but her childhood was impoverished. After dropping out of high school, she began working at a furniture repair shop, and with her keen business sense, expanded her business into furniture manufacturing. In the early 1980s, she accumulated initial wealth by acquiring scattered Ming and Qing Zitan and golden silk nanmu furniture from Beijing Longshuncheng Chinese furniture factory, then shifted to the Hong Kong real estate market, buying 12 villas in Beverly Hills at low prices and reselling them at high prices, laying the foundation for the establishment of Fuhua International Group.

After founding Fuhua International Group in 1988, Chen Lihua shifted her strategic focus to mainland China. In 1989, she returned to Beijing to invest in the construction of Chang’an Club, pioneering a high-end membership club in China, attracting business giants like Li Ka-shing and Huo Yingdong to join. Her 1998 project to renovate Jinbao Street demonstrated her business prowess; this 730-meter-long street gathered top-tier venues such as Regent Hotel and Hong Kong Jockey Club, becoming an iconic part of Beijing’s core commercial district. Currently, Fuhua International owns over 1.5 million square meters of operational real estate in Beijing, with business extending to Australia, New Zealand, and other regions.

In the field of culture and arts, Chen Lihua dedicated half her life. She founded the China Zitan Museum, which houses over a thousand Ming and Qing Zitan masterpieces, and established a branch in Hengqin to promote traditional craftsmanship. An honorary doctorate from Savannah College of Art and Design in Georgia, USA, she has promoted Chinese classical furniture art to the world stage through activities like the “Zitan Culture Expedition.”

Chen Lihua’s personal life has also attracted much attention. In 1988, she met Chi Chongrui, who played the monk Tang Sanzang in “Journey to the West,” after ending her first marriage and having three children. Their marriage, which had an 11-year age difference, lasted over thirty years. In interviews, Chi Chongrui revealed, “Mutual understanding is our secret to happiness.” Chen Lihua joked that she actively pursued this “national idol,” saying, “So many women were queuing to chase him, I couldn’t miss out.”

With Chen Lihua’s passing, speculation has arisen over the distribution of her hundreds of billions of yuan in inheritance. Her eldest son, Zhao Yong, is now the president of Fuhua International Group, while her two daughters manage her art collection and asset management divisions respectively. Although Chi Chongrui, as the legal heir, has the right to inherit, Chen Lihua had previously stated, “Wealth should be left to the people; leaving children with qualifications and abilities is more important.” This woman, who rose from the Summer Palace, used her life to exemplify the perfect integration of tradition and modernity, business and culture.