Asian Art Museum: San Francisco facility's expansion will showcase more pieces from China

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San Francisco hosts the Western world's largest museum dedicated exclusively to Asian art. And the popular facility is now in the process of expanding, with hopes of showcasing even more rare art and artifacts from all parts of the continent, including large parts of China. CGTN's Mark Niu has the details.

In recent years, visitors to San Francisco's Asian Art Museum have been treated to everything from China's terracotta warriors to this famous stone in the shape of fatty pork.

"It's beautiful and it's made me a little hungry too."

While those delicacies were part of travelling exhibitions, the Asian Art Museum itself has more than 18-thousand pieces in its permanent collection, one-third which are Chinese.

JAY XU DIRECTOR, ASIAN ART MUSEUM "We want to enrich people's life and find Asian Art and culture relevant, essential to their well-being, to everyone's growth and enjoyment of life, and in doing so making Asian art culture an essential part of American fabric."

MARK NIU SAN FRANCISCO "As director of this museum since 2008, Jay Xu has achieved some milestones of his own. He was the first Chinese American to become director of a major U.S. art museum and the first Asian American museum director elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences."

The Shanghai-born director shows us what precious items are on an Empresses' treasure shelf.

"The technology and the craft for making such a perfect shaped vase with extremely precise design was unprecedented."

Many of the exquisite ceramics, paintings and artifacts have astronomical values.

"This similar vase, one of the few in private hands was recently auctioned for more than $20 million dollars. The importance of a collection not only in monetary value, but more importantly, these are the objects we share with our audience. All of us owns it."

Xu is also working on bringing a collection of the Chinese Chu Kingdom from around the end of the Bronze age, to the museum in 2020. He says the current trade tension between China and the U.S. only underscores the importance of his museum's mission.

JAY XU DIRECTOR, ASIAN ART MUSEUM "Culture is fundamental to all human kind. And through cultural exchange, there will be opportunities to increase understanding and increase mutual collaboration. "

The Asian Art Museum is expanding. Xu gives us a glimpse of what's under construction – a 12-hundred square meter pavilion with a rooftop terrace. The 38-million dollar construction project more than doubles their space.

"You suddenly have a much richer portfolio of spaces. And then you can do a lot more with them by presenting different art and stories."

Art and stories that are felt by visitors in their own unique way.

"I wanna touch them all. I wanna hold them in my hands."

Mark Niu, CGTN, San Francisco.