Not long ago, Chinese embarking on an overseas group tour were considered rich.
But the seriously rich are now in a totally different league.
660 were surveyed - each with at least 10 million yuan ($1.37 million) in personal wealth. 18 percent are interested in a space tour, and 11.7 percent say that cruising on luxury yachts "would become part of their life."
The fourth straight yearly survey of rich people by the Hurun Report was released by Shanghai-based Briton Rupert Hoogewerf. The report also said France was the hottest destination in Europe for its romantic allure and the glitz of the Riviera. Shoppers' paradise Dubai was the most favored in the Middle East.
The survey also finds that the rich are becoming more selective when it comes to luxury goods.
Listing top-end cars, watches and other luxury products, the report shows they now choose brands that suit them rather than blindly embracing traditional brands, according to Hoogewerf.
For instance, Remy Martin was the liquor of choice five years ago; now, Royal Salute whisky and Hennessy cognac are just as likely to figure on the list. "I bet that any rich man in the affluent Zhejiang province is more knowledgeable about overseas wine than I," Hoogewerf said.
But some brands remain favorites, such as Rolex and BMW, both topping the most favored list in their categories.
China's demand for luxury goods accounts for 12 percent of the global market, according to Goldman Sachs. And with an annual 20 percent increase, the Chinese are expected to become the world's largest consumers of luxury goods by 2015.
China is the third largest market for LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton after the United States and Japan.
Estimates on the number of the country's super rich vary.
A list by World Entrepreneur magazine this month estimates that China boasts the second largest number of billionaires in the world after the US.
The number of people with more than $1 billion in assets has reached 146, compared to 85 last year, it says.
（英语点津 Celene 编辑）
About the broadcaster:
Jonathan Stewart is a media and journalism expert from the United States with four years of experience as a writer and instructor. He accepted a foreign expert position with chinadaily.com.cn in June 2007 following the completion of his Master of Arts degree in International Relations and Comparative Politics.
