Auction Hero

A legend in the art world, Robert Chang's new biography charts his rise from Hong Kong street-sleeper to leading international dealer in Chinese antiquities. Lin Qi reports.

The streets of Hong Kong in 1948 witnessed an influx of people from the mainland who were escaping the chaos of the Chinese civil war. Among them was Robert Chang, a Shanghai native in his 20s who arrived with just a suitcase and $24 in his pocket.

He survived on two meals a day. Sometimes when he couldn't afford lodgings, he spent the night on the streets, sleeping on used newspapers. He spoke no Cantonese and had poor English and found it difficult to find a job. He saw a bleak future ahead of him.