Annly was born in Taiwan and graduated from Taiwan Art School. She moved to Chicago with her family 16 years ago. In 1986, she came to Shanghai for the first time and was deeply attracted by Chinese ancient arts in Shanghai Museum. Eleven years later, she opened the first Chinese ancient furniture house in Shanghai.

In her early times in Shanghai, Annly knew just three antique furniture shops there, which were dirty, with limited articles and no price tags. In order to create a nice living environment, she bought several pieces of old furniture and remade them by herself. Her husband and friends were all surprised at her handcraft. That was the beginning of Annly's Antique.

Together with her husband who has an excellent taste of Chinese ancient art, Annly collected from ordinary families all over China a lot of ancient aesthetic articles and furniture in Min period and late Qing Dynasty. Her furniture-repairing factory was originally a warehouse in small lanes and streets. The number of craftsmen increased from 30 to 60 six months later. Three years later, not only had the number increased into 100, a big furniture showroom was set up. Now there are quite a lot of furniture shops alike near Annly's. As a forerunner, Annly has done a good job.

It is a tough job that needs complicated skills to give old furniture rebirth, which was damaged by natural and human forces. What's more, the craftsmen should have a good sense of beauty and art. The most important is Annly's devotion and whole-heartedness to her factory and business. She would work 16 hours a day and check all working procedures by herself. "Shanghai is developing at a high speed, which may give rise to a big crash to people's life." she said, "My work and furniture can soothe me when I feel uneasy."

There are a lot of working procedures in the process of furniture restoration. All the craftsmen are excellent carpenters from Anhui Province. Since these carpenters were well trained by Annly, they made perfect artwork.

Annly showed us the artwork that "must have a look". It is part of an article for daily use, on which carved the life of rich people in Qing Dynasty. Unfortunately, another part of it was chipped off in the time of Culture Revolution. Like those people persecuted in Culture Revolution, much of furniture that Annly brought back was greatly damaged. The rebirth of furniture means the rebirth of culture. What a cautious and significant event it is!

Annly's furniture is charming. And it's quite rare in Shanghai that every piece of it has a price tag (in most antique shops customers should bargain with the owner). That's why so many foreign customers like it.

Annly believes in "truth, goodness and beauty". If antique furniture can be put in a proper place, it can reveal its beauty.