For more than a century our family in Beijing has lived in the same beautiful courtyard style house. Sadly In 1976, a large earthquake near the city caused extensive damage to many buildings and homes. As communities rebuilt they often discarded their partially damaged furniture, many of which were antiques dating back 200 years. Li Yue, had a keen eye for furnishings and had the foresight to collect some of these curbside pieces. He lovingly restored and collected these antiques that became highly sought after by western markets. A bourgeoning business of restoring and selling antiques was born. Western clients began buying wholesale, enabling an export business spanning South Asia, Europe and North America.
With the expertise gained from restoring hundreds of pieces, Li Yue and his employees began to understand the construction intricacies of these antiques.
Taking cues from these old pieces they started making replicas. Within a decade, Yue was a master of replicating various Ming and Qing Dynasty style furnishings. By the late 1990s Yue's customer base had expanded once again because of the inclusion of more affordable replica pieces.
Understanding the market for these beautiful pieces in North America, Yue's cousin Jing and her long time friend Michelle created Dragon Heir in Toronto in 2003. These two young owners infuse a modern flare to this antique business. Melding East with West, contemporary with classic, they have opened up a new style sensibility perfect for modern urban living with antique Asian flare.
After moving to Canada, Jing and Michelle garnered a renewed appreciation for the culture and art they had left behind. Now distanced from their homeland, they felt a strong tie to the places and things they had grown up with and felt that bringing pieces to Canada would be mutually beneficially. Dragon Heir now links Jing and Michelle to their past and brings beautiful authentic Chinese pieces to the Canadian public.