They’ve become one of the world’s most influential social groups and now a little more light has been shed on the makeup of China’s rising band of rich.

The HSBC corporation and international research company Nielsen have just released their findings into a survey that attempts to dissect the makeup of the richest 10 percent of the population of eight countries in the Asia-Pacific region.

The countries focused on were mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, India, Indonesia, Malaysia and Australia.

Year 2011 sees Italian fashion house Ermenegildo Zegna celebrating its 20th Anniversary in China.

To commemorate this occasion Ermenegildo Zegna made a special limited edition collection of just twenty pieces to mark this important milestone.

The collection include watches, cufflinks, mobile phones and fabrics made in collaboration with Girard-Perregaux, Tateossian and Vertu.

The new Banyan Tree Macau has opened within the US$2 billion Galaxy Macau resort complex, providing a luxurious retreat for gamers.

The all-suite resort offers such extras as a relaxation pool in every room and the brand’s signature villas situated beside the resort’s unique rooftop wave pool.

As more and more tourists head to China, major tourism operators are looking for new and improved methods to grab their share of the market.

A 300-bottle collection of Chateau Lafite Rothschild has sold for almost $540,000 in Hong Kong, setting a world record price for a single wine lot auctioned this year.

The collection spanning 1981 to 2005 was knocked down for HK$4.2 million ($539,250) at Christie’s two-day Autumn wine sale.

The record price, below a HK$4.5 million pre-sale estimate, was “the highest value lot achieved at any wine auction worldwide this year,” Christie’s said.

Among the hundreds of lots on offer at Christie’s September wine auction in Hong Kong, there’s one in particular that will appeal to more than just wine lovers.

The winning bid for Lot No. 519 will receive a lunch date with Scarlett Johansson and six bottles of 100-year-old Moët et Chandon champagne packed in a special Louis Vuitton leather chest.

The lot is estimated to be worth 380,000 to 500,000 Hong Kong dollars (US$48,700 to $64,100). The proceeds of the sale will go to the Nature Conservancy in China.

China is currently the world’s third-largest market for cosmetics and toiletries, behind the United States and Japan.

While wealthy Chinese once had to travel overseas to get their cosmetics, the domestic market is now spoiled for choice as the world’s leading cosmetic companies open shops across the nation.

That makeover of the Chinese market received another boost this week with news that massive New York-based Estee Lauder Companies group is planning to expand its presence in the country with new stores and e-commerce channels.