Life of opulence on Beijing's millionaires' row

For the more decadent Beijing resident, home just would not be home without private lakes, hot-spring baths, in-house pools and saunas, all nestled among aromatic rose gardens and mature oak trees.

While the majority of people in the capital live in centrally planned apartments that favour function over form, opulence is now on offer for those with a taste for the good life - and the money to pay for it.

Beijing Rose Garden, which lies beyond the city's northwestern suburbs, is the latest complex to come on the market, and its developers do not aim to compete on price. At the top end lies the Villa King, on a small island and boasting a private lake, which can be picked up for 'at least' 30 million yuan (HK$28.2 million), without extras.

Nearly 500 villas have been completed, all offering a host of trappings designed to pamper and please.

Villas are available in Japanese, North American, European and even outer-space styles - presumably for those who want to make the most of the fact they are paying out-of-this-world prices.

A second phase, ready for purchase soon, aims to move up a notch, with each unit offering in-house elevators, saunas and swimming pools. The trees shading the spacious, landscaped gardens will be at least 100 years old, the developers say - and they are not worried about finding enough takers.

'All we have to do is find 500 rich people in Beijing [for the initial phase],' said Wang Jianxin, general manager of the development. 'Beijing has so many rich people, it will be an easy task.'