Nan Shufang, a premium Chinese cultural brand rooted in the tradition of the scholar’s study, has opened its first Hong Kong store at Pacific Place. The new location marks an important step in the brand’s international expansion. At the same time, it presents an immersive approach that brings together Chinese craft, spatial design, and cultural programming.
Founded in 2008, Nan Shufang established its first location in Beijing’s Houhai district. The brand takes its name from the “South Study,” or Nan Shufang, in the Forbidden City, linking its contemporary identity to China’s scholarly heritage.
That lineage shapes the brand’s view of objects as carriers of culture, craftsmanship, and spiritual value rather than purely functional pieces. Its philosophy is rooted in a line from the Zhuangzi’s “Ren Jian Shi” chapter: “The achievement of beauty takes time; the making of ugliness allows no room for correction, how cautious one must be.”
A Four-City Cultural Network
The Hong Kong opening expands Nan Shufang’s existing presence across Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Hong Kong. Together, the four cities form a network of seven stores, with each location interpreting the scholar’s study tradition through architecture, display, and cultural experiences.
In Beijing, the portfolio spans the original Houhai store and locations at China World and SKP. Meanwhile, the Shanghai Xintiandi space explores refined pursuits including incense appreciation and tea tasting, while another location occupies the historic Amanyangyun setting. In Shenzhen, the Bay MixC store responds to the city’s contemporary and open character.
Consequently, the network presents Chinese cultural traditions through different urban contexts while maintaining a consistent focus on craftsmanship and scholarly life.
Craft, Design and Cultural Experience
Three principal craft categories form the foundation of Nan Shufang’s offering. Wooden wares include classical furniture and scholar’s study objects made using mortise-and-tenon joinery and hand carving. Here, proportion, line, and spatial rhythm remain central to the design language.
Porcelain wares, meanwhile, reinterpret classical ceramic forms and glazing techniques across tea wares and desk objects. Gold and silver wares add another dimension, employing traditional methods, including chasing, repoussé, and lost-wax casting, for tea implements, incense tools, and decorative objets d’art.
Beyond retail, Nan Shufang positions its stores as active cultural venues. Its programming spans calligraphy, Chinese painting, incense culture, seal carving, guqin, tea culture, and woodblock printing. In addition, cultural talks, themed gatherings, and seasonal events bring specialists in art, culture, and collecting into direct engagement with visitors.
Since 2017, the brand has also operated the “Fang Weng Cultural Tour,” offering in-depth journeys through exhibitions, museums, and historical sites. Now, Hong Kong provides a new platform for that programme and for Nan Shufang’s broader cultural ambitions. Positioned between Eastern and Western traditions, the city offers an international setting where Chinese craft and contemporary design can reach a wider audience.
Nan Shufang
Shop 320, Level 3
88 Queensway, Admiralty
Hong Kong