As the Guardian Spring Auction is underway, insider comments on the Chinese auction market is worth a second thought. It is obvious that contemporary art pieces have seen a rise in popularity in the Chinese auction market, but how did it become this way? Qi Jie has more. 

The number of Chinese oil paintings among collectors have been rising in the last two decades. For instance, over 100 oil pieces were up for grabs at Guardian's Autumn auction last year, which is twice the number of previous years. Most importantly, all of them were sold. 

LI YANFENG, GENERAL MANAGER 20TH CENTURY & CONTEMPORARY ART DEPT., GUARDIAN AUCTIONS "Oil paintings have sold very well in recent years. First, galleries and expos have seen a vibrancy in selling oil pieces. A lot of young collectors are also new, which has helped boost auction sales. And the criteria toward 'valued' oil paintings are more and more similar among the collectors, which is a signal that the market becoming mature."

Guardian has been helping to nurture the market, with over 20 years of experience in selling Chinese oil paintings. So far, Wu Guanzhong's "The Scenery of Zhouzhuang" holds the auction record for Chinese oil paintings. It was sold for 190 million yuan, or about 29 million US dollars in 2016.

Meanwhile, ancient Chinese art, including calligraphy works and paintings as well as furniture and porcelain, is continuing to attract collectors' attention. 

HU YANYAN CEO, GUARDIAN AUCTION "The market has grown steadily in recent years. Every year, attention accumulates in some of our segments. And every year, we have pieces which are sold at sky-high prices. Other things worth mentioning are new collectors who continue to spring up -- around 30 percent are new every year."

So it doesn't matter which piece of art finally goes under the hammer. Because it's not just about the money, but the passion, respect and heritage of a piece of treasure. QIJIE, CGTN