Personal hobbies evolve into public showcases of devoted obsessions

Private museums, displaying everything from antique furniture to vouchers to stones, have sprung up across China in recent years.

Private museums have existed in Europe and the US for decades, with some, such as the Guggenheim in New York, drawing visitors from around the world. In China, the concept is in its infancy by comparison, but beginning to flourish. Most private museums in China are no larger than a couple of rooms displaying the owner's collection, sometimes without any entrance charge.

Xie Zhikuan is the owner of such a museum in Liuzhou, one of China's oldest industrial bases, in South China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.