In recent years, the demand for exquisite Chinese artifacts has risen considerably, especially among Europeans and Americans who want to decorate their homes and offices with unusual, conversation pieces. And, it is these buyers who helped this industry survive the economic downturn, virtually unscathed.

Hollywood Road is renowned as a shopper's paradise for people seeking such treasures, but beware because some dealers sell modern reproductions as genuine artifacts. Fortunately, however, there are reputable dealers, such as Mr. Choi's Dragon Culture which sells genuine antiques with authentic guarantees.

Mr. Choi's advice, for anyone running the gauntlet down this street, is "to find a reputable dealer, someone who will spend time to find your interests and tell you about each piece. And, if you're still unsure, have it tested. "Wood can be tested using carbon -14 dating, pottery by a thermoluminescence test (Oxford Test) and, using other techniques, the authenticity of bronze, jade, stone and glass can also be determined.

Dragon Culture displays a vast selection of pieces from various Chinese Dynasties, each of which has its own unique style and production techniques. The following provides a simplified overview of the periods that produced some of today's finest antiques.

Neolithic - primitively beautiful pottery with geometric patterns, frequently incorporating animals, fish and human faces

Shang - fabulous ritual bronze vessels used for offering food and wine to ancestral spirits

Han - exquisite red-brown and deep green glazed vases, and pottery horses with painting that reveals their trappings

Tang - delightful, three-colour glazed pottery horses, captured in motion, being ridden by court officials, traders and foreigners

Ming - the most prized Chinese porcelains with flawless color and design quality

Appearing more like warehouses than galleries, Dragon Culture's three Hollywood Road outlets present collectors with a veritable feast of Chinese antiquities, including pieces from the afore-mentioned dynasties together with wood carvings, jades and snuff bottles. Keen to share his extensive knowledge, Mr. Choi encourages visitors to inspect the pieces and ask questions, and suggests that with such a diverse range of antiquities, "what is most important, is to select pieces that you like."

Offering exceptional customer service and wholesale prices for quality pieces- many of which have been tested, including all potteries shown here, which have Oxford Test certification - Mr. Choi's Dragon Culture has earned an excellent reputation and emerged from the Asian economic downturn in a very healthy state.