A new art building opened in Beijing on Sept 28, just two blocks away from the Forbidden City. The nine-floor Guardian Art Center is a one-stop art facility that will host auctions and exhibitions. It also has a hotel and secure art storage.

The center, which cost more than 2 billion yuan ($303 million), is hosting the fourth edition of Guardian Fine Art Asia in October, which features about 40 galleries, mainly antique dealers, from home and abroad, and the autumn auction of China's leading auctioneer China Guardian Auctions, to be held in December.

Kou Qin, general manager of Guardian Art Center and director of China Guardian, says the opening of the art center is China Guardian's attempt to diversify its art business to attract museums, art dealers, artists and art lovers, instead of only art buyers.