Photo provided to China Daily

"I didn't grow up speaking much Chinese but I did start Chinese painting and calligraphy from the age of 4. It was something I was interested in and has stayed with me my whole life. When I went to university I took a course in Chinese art history which really changed my life. Song Dynasty (960-1127) painting is my special area. Having an understanding of art very much adds to your appreciation."

Related: Chinese paintings on permanent display in UN

Learning the commercial ropes also gave Beres the confidence to launch Lotus Art Consulting, which obtains works for private collectors and museums. It made her a natural choice to help locate suitable candidates for the L'Asie en Vogue show.

"I was asked to bring something together that would bring together antique and contemporary, not just China but pan-Asia," Beres says. "We thought of this theme of textiles and costumes, which everyone understands and is familiar with. We worked with a New York collector for the antiquities."

The show attracted art connoisseurs who were lured by the pieces on display and also by the opportunity to browse around Paris Pagoda. The new owners, who are real-estate investors, want the venue to become a major center for showcasing Asian art and culture, as well as being used to host sales and auctions, cocktail receptions, luxury-brand launches, and even movie productions attracted by the striking architecture.

The international co-operation theme is a fitting legacy for an individual who acted as a conduit for such exchanges during an earlier era. Loo, who died in 1957, was famed in the Western world for his deep knowledge of art and antiques, gift for languages, and urbane manner, which allowed him to mix in all social circles.

"He was a self-made man who came from China not speaking a word of any other language, learned French and English and went all over the world and was able to set up these bridges," Beres says.