Milan design week gets 'taste of China'

Stylish furniture and homeware designs are now inviting viewers for "a taste of China" at the Milan Living Design Fair. These designs inspire quiet and meditation, something we could all probably use little more of.

Furniture and home necessities here have come from the imaginations of professionals in the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Simple and culturally relevant, they deliver a visual flavor like that of a tea ceremony, filled with oriental elegance.

Zhu Zheqin, a musician, said, "This exhibition focuses on the dining culture of the Chinese. They are very concerned about food, so you can see the influence of that culture in this furniture, and also how customs have evolved."

The event's organizer, a large furniture franchise in China, says that interest in Chinese design is increasing internationally.

Che Jianfang, an organizer, said, "This furniture exhibit is drawing interest from designers and factories in Milan. Our show here last year also attracted many buyers, including designers and ordinary consumers."

Whether you are flipping though a book at a table, or sipping tea from primitive style cups, these designs seem to encourage a slow paced, intellectual lifestyle. After a week long display here, the pieces will be taken on tour in Europe, as part of a promotion by Beijing Design Week.