Roses, butterflies and a gentleman

Chen Gang at the Colormen salon.

The Butterfly Lovers, however, remains unequalled.

"Honestly, I don't think the era can be recaptured. What I am trying to do now is to document the tail end of the era," he says. He is inviting artists from that age to come and speak at his salon.

The idea of a salon came after a conversation with friends two years ago. Chen's gathering is a rare meeting in Shanghai, and perhaps China that "plays with, but never profits from, all types of art".

The salon is named "Colormen", which sounds similar to a term used to describe a well-brought-up Shanghai gentleman, or "old clerk" – those who had good pedigree, a well-respected job and a refined lifestyle in the 1930's.

Chen Gang, Ji Dongming and Yan Hua have been dubbed the "three carriages" driving the non-profit event. Ji is the general manager of Hotel Equatorial Shanghai, where the salon is held, and Yan is a local broadcaster.

The monthly event has covered almost all the topics "one can think of about the age", ranging from the art of qipao tailoring to the once notorious and glamorous Paramount ballroom in Shanghai.

"Art is not a potted plant. It's a tree that can only grow in the right soil," says Chen. "I don't expect the salon to be the soil, but I hope it can act as fertilizer."