Comics
The West is not the only place in love with comic books.
Lianhuanhua, literally translated as "series of pictures," is the Chinese version of comic books. For many, they were cherished possessions during childhood. Today, they are in serious demand among collectors and investors.
At a lianhuanhua auction held last April at Panjiayuan, more than 300 items were auctioned at a total price of 178,890 yuan (US$27,270). Some of the most precious items sold for well over 10,000 yuan (US$15,450).
Ma Jianping has a collection of the 64-volume "Three Kingdoms" from 1959, which is worth more than 200,000 yuan (US$30,915).
Industry experts say lianhuanhua have both cultural and investment value, and because their number is limited and more people are starting to collect them, their market potential is increasing.
Chinese comics had their glory days in the 1950s and 1960s. Back then, many stories of the Chinese revolution found their way into lianhuanhua, and the books gained popularity among numerous children as well as adults.
Lianhuanhua gradually disappeared after the 1980s, but came back as collectable items in the mid 1990s. Since then, the market has exploded.
But some lianhuanhua collectors believe the books belong more in the hands of children than adults, especially since children are mostly surrounded by foreign comics today.
"I hope more children will like lianhuanhua, and artists will create more of them," said Zhou Fubao, secretary of a comic book collection association located in Nanjing of east China's Jiangsu Province.
