Social Trends/Sightings from the Zeitgeist
China's Richest Love Swimming, BMWs and France Tours: Survey,
Agence France Presse, January 10, 2008
Swimming, driving BMW cars and holidaying in France are among the preferred
lifestyle choices for China's wealthiest people, according to an annual survey
released on Thursday.
Swimming edged out travelling as the favourite form of recreation for the 660
Chinese US dollar millionaires interviewed, said the fourth report of the
Preferred Lifestyle and Brands of China's Richest.
Golfing ranked third in the list of most favoured recreation as China's rich
view it as a good chance to socialise with their peers, according to the report
compiled by Shanghai-based accountant Rupert Hoogewerf.
France is considered the best foreign travel destination by the millionaires
surveyed, of which 104 have net wealth of over 10 million dollars, while Yunnan
province in southern China was seen as the best domestic luxury destination.
German luxury car brand BMW was selected as the best overall luxury brand,
followed by French luxury goods trademark Louis Vuitton and German carmaker
Daimler AG's premium brand Mercedes-Benz.
Cartier topped the jewellery brand list while British financial group HSBC was
considered the best bank for offshore personal banking.
The report said 68 percent of the millionaires, surveyed between May and
November last year, are confident on the outlook of China's booming economy for
the next two years.
Stocks and property were the top two investment options, selected by 33 percent
and 26 percent of millionaires respectively, it said.
Thirty-six percent of the millionaires listed modern artwork as their priority
for collecting, but only 16 percent said they favoured antiques, citing the
difficulty in telling counterfeits from genuine articles.