Gu Hailin, the chairman of the Suzhou-based Haoqiang Rosewood Furniture Co-operation, and Qian Binrong, the owner of a national chain of jewellery stores, announced their plans for the museum last week, claiming to be fans of the traditional art.

The museum, free to all, will be built in the Pingjiang District of downtown Suzhou. It will exhibit furniture made by Suzhou masters during the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties, which the investors have collected from across the country.

The modern procedures involved in making replicas of the ancient furniture will also be on display.

The Suzhou-styled craftsmanship in making replica Ming and Qing furniture was put on the country's cultural heritage protection list in May.

The new museum will cover 1.4 hectares and be the largest museum in Suzhou. It is expected to open in May 2008.

Gu, who has more than 30 years of experience in ancient furniture sculpture, told China Daily yesterday that the entire museum will be built in the Ming and Qing architectural styles.

The furniture will be arranged in ancient ways in every room, as described in time-honoured books.

Gu said rooms exhibiting furniture made in the style of the Beijing or Guangdong, two other popular luxury furniture schools, will also be built to provide a comparison.

For instance, one room will be arranged to imitate the study of Emperor Qianlong (1711-99), a well-known Qing Dynasty emperor, with furniture made in the Beijing school style.

The museum will also provide free training on ancient furniture-making for disabled people. Experts from Gu's factory will display such procedures regularly at the museum.

Both investors said that with stable incomes from their respective businesses, they have the cash-flow capacity to sustain the operation of the museum for free.

"We didn't expect economic returns ever since having the idea for the museum three years ago. What we emphasize is the communicative function of the museum, which will help promote the learning and inheritance of ancient arts," said Qian.

But some people in the city said the museum will still bring the two investors a profit despite the free entry.

"A huge number of tourists as well as local people will visit the museum as it is in the downtown area. More and more people will buy the furniture products after they visit the museum," said Wu Jue, a 25-year-old citizen in Suzhou.

But Wu, like many residents, said that she welcomed more similar museums allowing traditional arts to thrive and survive.

Suzhou, a city with a rich cultural heritage, already has dozens of private museums displaying ancient arts or products, according to Wang Renyu, the former dean of the Suzhou Municipal Cultural Heritage Administration.