About Us | LianGroup

Our Mission

Making China Accessible — and the World Reachable

Hainan Lian Trading Group Co., Ltd (LianGroup) was founded with a singular conviction: that the richness of Chinese culture, art and commerce should be a bridge — not a barrier — for the rest of the world.

We work with businesses entering or expanding in China, with international collectors seeking authentic Chinese art, and with individuals who want to understand and engage with Chinese culture on a meaningful level. In every engagement, our goal is the same: to create genuine, lasting value for our clients.

Our Story

From Hainan to the World

LianGroup was established in Hainan — China's free-trade island province — a location that is itself a statement of intent. Hainan sits at the intersection of China's domestic ambitions and its international engagement, and it is from this vantage point that LianGroup has built its practice.

Our founders came from backgrounds spanning international trade, fine art and cultural education. What united them was a shared frustration with the superficiality of much China-facing advisory work — the tendency to treat China as a homogeneous market rather than a civilisation with 5,000 years of accumulated wisdom, aesthetic tradition and commercial sophistication.

LianGroup was built as an alternative: a firm that invests in genuine understanding before offering guidance, that prioritises long-term relationships over short-term transactions, and that regards cultural fluency — not just language ability — as the foundation of effective cross-border work.

Today we operate across three interconnected service areas — art brokerage, business solutions and cultural consulting — serving clients from Europe, North America, Southeast Asia and beyond, all with the same founding commitment to authenticity and depth.

What We Stand For

Our Core Values

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Authenticity

We do not deal in surface impressions. Every recommendation, every relationship and every transaction is built on genuine understanding.

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Partnership

We see ourselves as long-term partners, not one-off consultants. Your success is our measure of success.

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Depth

We invest in understanding before acting. Our advice is grounded in research, experience and cultural intelligence.

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Integrity

We operate with full transparency on fees, relationships and potential conflicts of interest — always.

The People Behind LianGroup

Our Founders

LianGroup is directly led by its two founders, who bring together decades of Chinese cultural expertise and international business experience.

Founder & Director, Art Sector

Xiaolong (Leo) YAO

With extensive knowledge of Chinese culture and over three decades of experience in China's business landscape — including senior leadership at a branch of Poly Group (construction sector) — Leo leads LianGroup's art brokerage and strategic direction.

Full Profile →

Co-founder & Director, Business and Culture Sectors

Hongyan (Claire) YANG

PhD in experimental physics, over a decade of academic research across several European countries and international organizations in both Europe and the United States, and nine-plus years managing international businesses in international trading and IT — Claire oversees operations and drives LianGroup's international outreach.