Page 128 - MAjestic v7

F E AT U R E
In Chen’s opinion, living in Xinjiang, at the heart of the
ancient Silk Road, has brought him closer to the Ferghana
horse. After Chen expanded Yema Trading Group into the
cultural industry, the first thing that he did was to import these Chen involves the mausoleum of Emperor Wu of Han.
horses that have a historical role in animal diplomacy back to
China. In his effort to bring the best of Ferghana horses back
to China, Chen made over 10 field trips to Turkmenistan
in 2010 before importing his first batch of 23 horses. More
imports from Central Asia were made subsequently.
To date, Chen owns the world ’s largest collection of
Ferghana horses, with more than 300 to his name, on top
of his collection of thoroughbreds, Warmbloods, Oldenburg
horses, Friesian horses, American miniature horses and
ponies, among others.
NO CULTURE, NO SOUL
Chen may be a business magnate, but I feel that he is an
artist at heart, with a strong conviction about conserving
the rich heritage of his country. Prior to founding Yema
Trading Group in 1991, Chen had been a soldier in the
People’s Liberation Army. He had also worked as a miner
and an art editor in a local newspaper.
After making his fortune in foreign trading, Chen
demonstrated his love for the arts by dedicating most of his
efforts to the cultural aspect of the business. Chen created a
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platform to facilitate cultural exchanges between the people
of Xinjiang and Central Asia, and, in doing so, helped
promote Xinjiang’s art and culture. One notable deed of
Chen believes that had it not been for Zhang Qian, the first
diplomatic envoy sent by Emperor Wu of the Han dynasty
to the West, where he reported the discovery of the ‘blood-
sweating’ Ferghana horse, this unique breed of horse would
not have existed in the history of China. The Ferghana horse is
a testament to the existence of the Silk Road, the major route
of transcontinental trade that played an important role in the
nation’s history. In June 2014, together with his wife and son,
Chen led two of his prized Ferghana horses from Xinjiang
to Shanxi, where the mausoleum of Emperor Wu is located.
They paid homage to the late emperor and the horses stayed in
Shanxi to keep the late emperor company.
“Emperor Wu’s ingenuity resulted in vast territorial expansions
and the creation of a flourishing state. Thousands of years later,
I brought the Ferghana horses to the ancient city of Xi’an, so
that the city can inherit these horses that used to be a part of
the country’s rich cultural heritage, and the city too can expand
culturally because of it. The emphasis now is on teaching children
the creative arts, but we have neglected to impart to them the
importance of physical and character building. I hope that,
through my efforts, the new generation will take a greater interest