''The developers feel strongly that marketing the Western lifestyle is very important.

''It will be more appealing to people in China. Some people really go for the Western way of life and that is what we have portrayed in the brochure.'' The Lillac Villa town house and apartment complex, situated just outside Hangzhou, is expected to be completed by 1996.

The developers hope to cash in on an expected influx of foreign firms to the area.

Vigers said 20 per cent of the homes in the project's first phase had been sold within two weeks of going on the market.

''We are quite pleased with it so far,'' said Mr Nei.

He said potential buyers being wooed were: International and Hongkong firms with business interests in the area who would like to base employees there; Local Chinese and Hongkong residents who might want to retire there; Investors hoping for price appreciation in the future.

Lillac Villa is a 30-minute drive from the centre of Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang Province.

The bustling city has a population of more than one million and is a hub of the national highway, railway and airline network.

Three hundred first class villas and condominium apartments are planned for the 200,000-square-metre estate.

There will also be tennis courts, swimming pools, a gymnasium, shops and restaurants on site.

A golf course is a 10-minute drive away and the scenic Funchun River is also nearby.

The Sino-Foreign Joint Venture-Hangzhou Lilac Properties is developing the project, with the first phase expected to be ready by next year.

Mr Nei said prices of low-rise 900 sq ft condominiums started around $500,000. A 6,000 sq ft town house costs $2.2 million.

He added: ''The good thing about this development is that it is in an excellent location which is famous for its scenery.

''And because the property market has just started there, the price is most attractive.

''There is also a wide range of communal facilities.''