Don't be fooled by the drowsy looks on these subjects! Inspired by Taoist philosophy, the works of the Zhongmiao series convey the message that only the quiet mind can know the essence of things. (Chuang Kung-ju)

Loretta Yang has said: "Life is like a peony, exploding into bloom." Yang, one of the founders of glassmaker Liuligongfang, is referring to a legend in which Empress Wu Zetian is enjoying plum blossoms on a winter day and decides she'd like to see all the various flowers in bloom at once. She orders the god of flowers to make them all blossom early, but the peony, alone among the flowers, refuses to cooperate. When Wu orders the peonies banished from Chang'an or burned to ash, they take root in Luoyang and prosper there. Liuligongfang has chosen the peony as its emblem to suggest its commitment to that same spirit.

Founded 25 years ago in Tamsui, Liuligongfang began establishing itself in mainland China in 1996. Ignoring early warnings that its mainland venture would come to a bad end, the studio has instead prospered there. It now operates 49 mainland galleries, has diversified into food, beverages, and other businesses, employs 1,100 people worldwide, and has annual revenues of roughly NT$1.1 billion. Liuli's capabilities have blossomed as vigorously as the peony, turning it into Asia's premier creative-cultural venture.

Across from Tianzifang on the arty stretch of Shanghai's Taikang Road stands a large glass structure. Brilliant and eye-catching, the building houses the Liuli China Museum. Two giant steel peony blossoms decorate its glass exterior. Sculpted ducks sit in running water outside its French windows, craning their necks in welcome. At night, light plays on the peonies to fantastic effect.

The first floor of the main hall contains a restaurant and a gift shop whose shelves are filled with sparkling, translucent glass animals in lifelike poses. Ele-gantly depicted flowers, insects and fish are accompanied by poetic descriptions. An arrangement of pink glass lilies in a hollow, colorless glass sphere is "an early spring flower in the mountains, standing next to a cliff, erect, deeply rooted, petals extended." A blue-green imperial dragon seal "approaches like billows striking a steep cliff, soars over the land, and rides the wind across vast seas, pacifying all under heaven." Company CEO Chang Yi pens all of the descriptions himself.