Renowned entrepreneur Chen Lihua has passed away; her husband is "Tang Monk" Chi Chongrui! She dropped out of high school due to poverty in her childhood and built her fortune from scratch to become China's richest woman.

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On April 7th, Fuhua International Group announced the death of Honorary Chairman and Director of the Chinese Zitan Museum, Ms. Chen Lihua, who passed away in Beijing on April 5, 2026, at the age of 85 due to ineffective medical treatment.

Chen Lihua was born in October 1941 in Beijing, of Manchu ethnicity. She held an honorary Doctor of Humanities degree and served as a lifelong director at the Savannah College of Art and Design in Georgia, USA. She was a member of the 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, vice chairman of the Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, and Overseas Chinese Committee of the CPPCC during the 11th and 12th sessions, executive vice president of the China Overseas Chinese Business Investment Enterprise Association, president of the Beijing Overseas Chinese Business Association, and lifelong honorary president of the Beijing Manchu Society. In 2011 and 2012, Ms. Chen Lihua was consecutively listed among Forbes’ “100 Most Influential Women in the World.” In 2012, she was named on Time Magazine’s “Global 100 Most Influential People” list.

According to China Entrepreneur Magazine, Chen Lihua revealed herself to be a direct descendant of the Manchu Bordered Yellow Banner, Yihhel Nara clan, born in the Summer Palace. However, she was not a fortunate “princess,” coming from a poor family and dropping out of high school.

As recorded in the book “26 Most Inspiring Female Entrepreneurs,” published by China Business Publishing House, Chen Lihua was born in the Summer Palace, grew up in poverty, and dropped out of high school. In the 1960s, she started a furniture repair business and later established a furniture factory. Chen Lihua has expressed “gratitude for poverty,” saying “poverty is the best university.”

In 1982, Chen Lihua moved to Hong Kong to engage in international trade and real estate investment. Her first major wealth came from her ventures in Hong Kong. Using earnings from her furniture business, she purchased 12 villas in Beverly Hills, buying low and selling high. After several rounds, Chen Lihua accumulated substantial initial capital.

In 1988, Chen Lihua founded Fuhua International Group in Hong Kong, which now supports industries including real estate development and management, culture and arts, and health. According to the official website, Fuhua International leverages its complete real estate value chain to operate diverse real estate businesses, including large office parks, office buildings, high-end clubs, hotel apartments, shopping malls, and residential properties.

In the early 1990s, Fuhua International invested in the construction of the Chang’an Club on Chang’an Avenue in Beijing, pioneering high-end membership clubs in China, introducing a private club-style management model, attracting renowned entrepreneurs and elites from various fields. It is recognized as a long-established and influential business club in China.

Additionally, Jinbao Street, which runs north of Chang’an Avenue and connects to the Wangfujing shopping district, is a flagship project of Fuhua International, integrating multiple real estate operations. It includes high-end star-rated hotels like Regent and Liting, Grade-A office buildings such as Jinbao Tower and Hualei Tower, and large shopping centers like Jinbao Hui Shopping Mall, forming a large-scale, multifunctional urban commercial street with offices, culture, shopping, and entertainment.

According to The Paper, Chen Lihua was one of the most well-known and consistently listed Chinese female billionaires on Forbes China’s rich list in her early years. Data shows that in 2001, she ranked 6th among the Top 100 Richest in Mainland China with a wealth of 5.5 billion yuan, becoming China’s richest woman.

In 2012, she ranked 17th on Forbes China Rich List with a wealth of 17.64 billion yuan. In 2014, she was the top self-made female billionaire globally, with a net worth of 37.3 billion yuan.

According to China News Service, the 2016 Hurun Women Rich List listed her as China’s top female real estate queen, with a wealth of 50.5 billion yuan, making her China’s richest woman for the first time. Yang Huiyan and Zhou Qunfei ranked second and third, respectively. That year, Chen Lihua was also recognized as the most successful self-made female entrepreneur globally.

In the latest Hurun Rich List, Chen Lihua remains among the top, with a net worth of 47 billion yuan, ranking 118th.

Chen Lihua has one son and two daughters, each managing affairs at Fuhua International Group. Her son, Zhao Yong, is the current president of Fuhua International, leading the group’s strategy and business development.

Chen Lihua’s husband, Mr. Chi Zhongrui, is a renowned Chinese performing artist, famous for playing Tang Seng in the classic Chinese novel “Journey to the West.” They married in 1990.

In 1988, Chen Lihua met Chi Zhongrui, who was then considered a “national idol.” She is 11 years older than him, divorced, with three children, and was 47 at the time. She admitted on “Lu Yu’s Talk Show” that she was the one who pursued Chi Zhongrui, saying “Mr. Chi is so handsome, many women are lining up to chase him.”

Due to her marriage with Chi Zhongrui, the usually low-profile Chen Lihua once became a topic of public discussion. Years ago, a reporter asked her during an interview, “You married Mr. Chi, who is more than ten years younger than you. Do you feel pressure?”

Chen Lihua replied, “There is pressure. I didn’t think about the consequences at the time. I’ve never indulged in Mr. Chi. I was looking for a travel companion, a partner in life.” Chi Zhongrui said, “Acting can be performed temporarily, but not forever. We don’t need to declare our love; time will tell everything.”

Her children and husband have given her full support for her lifelong passion for Zitan. Chen Lihua stated: “Thirty years of working with Zitan has been both tough and happy. With Zitan by my side and my family’s support and understanding, I have the strongest backing in my Zitan journey.”