An anguished letter penned by a Chinese scholar nearly a millennium ago has become the most expensive work of Chinese calligraphy ever bought.
The 124-character letter was purchased for a whopping ¥207 million (NZ$46.5 million) by wealthy film producer Wang Zhongjun at an auction in Beijing.
The letter was written 936 years ago by Zeng Gong, a renowned author during the Song Dynasty -- and addresses his depression as a result of a 12-year exile from the capital.
The work's hefty price-tag would likely have raised a few eyebrows, with the letter selling for nearly 46 times the amount it fetched at an auction in New York about 20 years prior.
However, that didn't seem to faze Mr Wang, who also splashed out US$61.8 million (NZ$90.5 million) on Vincent Van Gogh's Still Life, Vase with Daisies and Poppies in 2014.
Newshub.
