Lyu Zhidao leads his team to help rebuild the Milan Expo pavilion in Qingdao.

He is involved with museums dedicated to pearls, umbrellas, traditional Chinese liquor and even one that's dedicated to prisons, he says, adding that the country needs better planned construction of buildings in the cultural sector.

Also, building theme parks will be the new wave in China in the coming decade, Lyu says.

"I hope I will have more chances to build museums and theme parks outside China."

Lyu is a native of southern China's Guangdong province, a place that has produced many successful exporters, importers and property developers.

"I think I'm more like an artist, or I pretend to be," he jokes at his office in Beijing, where rosewood furniture, sculptures and modern paintings are displayed.

He has helped many artists exhibit their works in and outside China, such as gunpowder artist Cai Guoqiang and painter Xu Jiang.

Lyu says he loves to work with artists although they're always demanding and keep changing their ideas, which results in extra work. But he is always patient with them.

"I think I'm doing what I always want to do," says Lyu.

Contact the writer at dengzhangyu@chinadaily.com.cn