Chen Hongshou,Drink Tea with Friends under Pine by the Creek

The Hanhai 2009 Autumn Auction has opened at the Kerry Center Hotel in Beijing. A variety of Chinese artworks from the Qing Court will go under the hammer during the three-day auction.

The Beijing Hanhai Auction is hosting the art auction for the first time. The artworks hail from the Qing Dynasty. They featured in the courts of emperors during the Yongzheng, Qianlong and Jiaqing periods. Among them is a calabash-shaped blue and white vase with a red dragon design and a collection of rectangular bamboo-carved boxes with cloud and dragon designs. Both are expected to fetch more than 10 million RMB.

More than 27-hundred artworks will be auctioned. These include modern and ancient Chinese paintings, calligraphy, oil paintings, sculptures, fine jade carvings, gold and copper statues, classical furniture, curios and antiques. This year's Hanhai Autumn Auction is expected to record transactions between 500 to 600 million RMB. The auction concludes on Wednesday.