Living relic
The first Guanfu Museum was housed in a small space in Liulichang, Beijing's famous antique street. It has moved twice since before it finally settled at its current address, a location chosen because of its generous space and cheap rental.
Shortage of funds was a perpetual worry in the upkeep of the museum from day one. There is no financial support from the government and individual sponsorships were limited.
"When people talk about charity, to their minds, it usually means giving to the poor and needy. In the traditional Chinese way of interpreting philanthropy, donating to museums is not considered charity," Ma says.
And so it is that on Guanfu Museum's front door, a plaque announces: "Every audience who pays to visit is our patron".
The turning point for Guanfu came in 2008, through the power of television. This was the year Ma became an overnight sensation on screen, and his popularity helped power the publicity drive of the museum.
He is the first to admit that television changed his museum's fate. But, he also knows any fame is fleeting and star power is seldom permanent. Six years ago, Ma established the museum council, inviting successful entrepreneurs and experienced experts to join the board to plan for the future. In June this year, he established the Guanfu Cultural Foundation, the first of its kind among museums in China.
Uncertainties lie ahead for Guanfu. For example, the current site is marked for demolition and another move is in the books. For Ma, it is during these times when a museum council will play its part.
"It will no longer be a single person's long march, but there will be more committed friends giving a helping hand," he wrote in his blog after the ceremony announcing the foundation's establishment.
The current museum is only a blueprint, as far as Ma is concerned. He envisions a space three or four times larger, with room for experiential exhibits.
"For example, visitors may be asked to take a shower and change into clothes like those worn during the Song dynasty. Then they walk in and experience what it was like living during that time, among the antiques from that period - without electricity and at a slower pace."
This museum has been a repository for Ma's dreams. After the first museum opened in 1997, Ma also started two Guanfu museums in Hangzhou and Xiamen. A third, in Harbin, Heilongjiang province, will be open soon in collaboration with the local government.
Some has compared what Ma is doing to the "Guggenheim Model", and others expect his museum to reach world-class standards like Japan's MIHO Museum, but Ma's answer to all that is simple.
"I have no choice. To sell them off and earn a lot of money? But I don't know what to do with the money, and we all know wealth brings trouble.
"I don't want to leave them to my son either, as I don't think his life will be happier because of that," he says.
Now that he has donated everything he owns to the museum, he can begin enjoying his treasures unencumbered.
"The ultimate goal is to collect culture not the works themselves. I have enjoyed the collecting. I just hope that one day, when I enter the museum with a walking stick or in my wheelchair, no one pays any attention to me, or recognizes me. And when I hear some visitor say, 'Hey, these guys did a good job'. If that happens, my dreams will be fulfilled."
