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Chinese actor Chi Zhongrui. Photo from Chi’s Weibo |
According to Sinchew, in mid-June, Chi was spotted filming an advertisement on a busy street in Beijing for a high-end residential project owned by his wife. Marketed as a rare luxury housing development near the Forbidden City, the project emphasizes premium interior design, refined aesthetics, and exclusive club amenities, with units starting at 9.8 million yuan (US$1.4 million).
The phrase “Tang Sanzang selling houses” quickly became one of the top 10 trending topics on Weibo, garnering hundreds of thousands of comments. Many netizens joked about Chi’s shift in public image—from “devout Buddhist” to “real estate agent.”
Chi began livestreaming in 2022, selling items ranging from red sandalwood crafts to household goods. His continued participation in livestream sales, despite his wife’s wealth, has sparked debate online. Some speculate that Chi holds a “submissive role” in the relationship, allegedly “adhering to strict household rules” such as addressing his wife as “Chairwoman,” waiting to be served meals, and not interrupting her.
Still, many netizens came to Chi’s defense, pointing to the couple’s 35-year marriage as proof of enduring love and mutual respect.
Previously, Chen made headlines over reports that she had drafted a will allocating 10 billion yuan to each of her four children from her estimated 50 billion yuan fortune, with the remaining assets going to Chi. This reignited public discussion about Chi’s personal wealth.
“If he’s really that rich, why is he still livestreaming at his age?” one Weibo user asked.
Public records from online database Tianyancha show that Chi is the director of Ju Gu Tang Trading Company and chairman of the Beijing Red Sandalwood Cultural Foundation. His wife, meanwhile, chairs the Ju Gu Tang company and owns six businesses across real estate, fine arts, furniture, cosmetics, and the food and beverage sector.
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Chinese actor Chi Zhongrui (second from R) and his wife, billionaire businesswoman Chen Lihua (C). Photo from Chi’s Weibo |
Chi, 73, comes from a family of five generations of Peking Opera performers. He trained at the Shanghai Theatre Academy and launched his acting career in 1981 after being assigned to the China Television Production Center as an actor.
Chen, 84, is the founder and chairwoman of Fuwah International Group, one of Beijing’s leading commercial real estate developers. Forbes named her China’s richest woman in 2014 before tech magnate Zhou Qunfei surpassed her. As of 2025, Forbes estimates her net worth at US$3.8 billion.
The couple married in 1990.
