Back in Shanghai. On holidays. The “excuse” this time: marking the 25th anniversary of the Canadian Government’s decision (fall of 1985) to restore its official presence in this city, by re-opening its Consulate General. To mark the occasion, we are getting together for dinner, a few former colleagues who followed me as Consul General in this place (I was the first one, 1986-88, of the post-1949 era). Fewer than we hoped for as some of those colleagues still serving in the region and expected to come (Beijing; Seoul and New-Delhi) could not free themselves unfortunately from official obligations.
Staying at the Fairmont Peace Hotel, this old dame of hotels in Shanghai, fabulously restored to its Art Deco splendor of the last century’s early roaring years! Built in late 20s (construction started in 1926; open in 1929) and known then as the Cathay Hotel, this was the jewel in Victor Sassoon’s budding hotel business. Just re-open in July this year, after a three-year long, C$100M full-scale restoration; not entirely finish yet, with parts (rooms at the back, the spa and the pool) still to be made available. On the Bund (No. 20), facing the Huangpu and the incredible mishmash of modern buildings that is the Pudong side of the city; unmistakable narrow pointed tower with the green roof, fronting a structure that goes widening towards the back, between fabled Nanjing road and the Bank of China building on the North side (built in the mid 30s – the construction must have been a real annoyance for the guests at the Cathay – all that piling!)
Thousands of Chinese are as ever still milling night and day on the Bund, now with its new extended promenade, along the Huangpu, just across the street from the hotel.There are 270 rooms in total, some 70 at the back still to be made available. The famous 9-nation suites that give directly on the Bund at the front of the hotel have also been restored. Had a glimpse at the magnificent Indian Suite, a favorite of Sassoon who had left Bombay to follow his fortunes in Shanghai – the man left in 1950 for the Bahamas - with one suitecase,it is said - where he lived - not in poverty, we can rest assure! - until he died in 1960.
Not clear to me who paid for the restoration: the Fairmont Group or the “owners”, the Shanghai government-funded Jin Jiang Group. If it is the Fairmont (Canadian-based, Arab money), I hope they got a very long management contract, long enough to recoup their investment! Some of the press stories that appeared at the time of the re-opening of the hotel:
http://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2010/07/28/shanghai%e2%80%99s-peace-hotel-reopens/
http://www.hospitalitynet.org/news/154000320/4047629
I have a history with this hotel that goes back to 1979, ever since I came first to Shanghai, in September of that year; had lunch then at the Dragon Phoenix Chinese restaurant, on the 8th floor (dined on Crystal shrimps, dongmiao greens and xiaolungbao last night, along with a Qingdao beer, “in commemoration”!). That was to be followed by several lunches and dinners there over the years, when I lived here in the mid eighties, and every time I visited Shanghai over the last 30 years!
Also a memorable party I put together, guests garbed in the 20s Chinese-style clothing – fedora, qipao and cheongsam – in what used to be Sassoon’s private apartments on the 10th or 11th floors in the Tower! (They are turning these floors into a 2-story Presidential Suite – not completed yet!) The kids and their mother chose to come to Shanghai and stayed at the Peace to witness the turn of the millennium in 1999/2000.
This is quite a feast to be staying here, discovering parts of the hotel that were closed before, including this magnificent atrium, with its huge and high octagonal rotunda skylight of yellow stained glass, that serves as the foyer of the hotel; access to it was blocked until now (we have the Communist regime of yesteryears to thank for this, who unwittingly “preserved” it for posterity!)
Much of the Art Deco signature accessories are still there, notably the light fixtures, specially designed for the hotel. There are also the unique Lalique glass ornaments; few original left and a couple so valuable, we are told by the “docent” that gave us a tour of the hotel, that they are still under wrap, kept outside of the hotel for security reasons. (Lalique, the French jewelry designer turned glass maker, started its glass business, we understand, just about the same time as Sassoon built the Cathay; that shows how much the latter was geared towards novelties! Apparently, the Lalique family descendants would have wanted to buy back the remaining Lalique pieces because they were so unique, but the owners of the hotel would have refused! The proceeds, it is said, would have covered one fourth of the costs of restoration!) See http://www.cristallalique.fr/v2/english.html
The Jazz Bar is still there, somewhat smaller, with the old 6-man band still playing – Mr. Zhou, the band leader and trumpet player, now in his 80s, makes sporadic appearances, and seems to have been replaced by a “younger” musician! The jazz band literally made the reputation of the Peace hotel, that is since its reappearance in 1980! They were known internationally – they even went on a tour in Japan in the mid 80s or 90s! They are popular especially with the older foreign crowd, as their repertoire is steep in the music of the 30s and 40s. How many times did we go there on account of my music and dance-lover ambassador and his wife, every time he would come down – and that was regularly – for a visit from Beijing – we even took the Governor General of the day, Jeanne Sauvé, and her delegation for a night out there, when she was visiting here! Sassoon loved jazz, a novelty at the time and a music that is indelibly linked to the pre-war Shanghai. I think the Fairmont Peace will now be remembered for other reasons than the jazz band…
