www射-国产免费一级-欧美福利-亚洲成人福利-成人一区在线观看-亚州成人

OPINION> Liang Hongfu
A city's past comes alive in style
By Hong Liang (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-06-26 07:53

A city's past comes alive in style

All those years I spent in Shanghai, I had always wished to stay at the Ruijin Hotel, even if it were only for a few nights. But regrettably, I could never find an excuse to do that.

This time in Shanghai, I decided to make the splash, and indulge in a spell of nostalgia that is like opiate to the weary minds of men my age. I believe that the majority of the guests chose to stay at the Ruijin not because of its opulence or facilities, which are only adequate, but rather for its historical ambience, which it has in spade.

Unlike those old grand hotels of Asia, such as the Peninsula, or better known as the Pen, in Hong Kong, the Raffles in Singapore or the Mandarin Oriental in Bangkok, Ruijin was built by Benjamin Morris, a swashbuckling British merchant, in the early 20th century as his family residence in the form of an English manor house in a lush green compound in the center of the city.

Little is known about Morris other than that he bred and raced greyhounds and founded China's earliest English-language daily newspaper, North China Daily News, which ceased publication a long time ago. Judging by the scale and design of his property, one has the impression that he was a tremendously wealthy man with expansive taste. The present owner of the property and operator of the hotel, a company controlled by the Shanghai municipal government, has done a creditable job of preserving the red brick structures of the principal house and the other buildings in their original form. But there is little else to remind visitors of the property's former owner.

Even if you're not a history buff or someone, like me, given to nostalgia, you can still find many things of delight in the Ruijin compound. The beauty of the architecture of the old buildings fanning a spacious courtyard is pleasing to the eye and mind. So is the stone arch that leads to a garden, which has become a hot favorite for wedding parties and other corporate social functions.

Ruijin, of course, is not the only landmark in Shanghai that recreates the graceful lifestyle of the past. If you, like me, find the imposing buildings on the Bund too stiflingly formal and officious, you'd love the Red House on Heng Shan Road.

A city's past comes alive in style

It may not be as well preserved as Ruijin, but it possesses an aura of romance that is unique among all old buildings in Shanghai. It was in the lofty halls of this three-story red brick building that many memorable songs sung by some of the most famous singers in the 1920s and 1930s were recorded on vinyl disks that are still cherished by many music lovers and collectors.

Someone showed me pictures of the handsome building of the Donghu Hotel, which is managed by the same group that manages Ruijin. But it lost its appeal after I learned that it was the former residence of a gangster boss. There are plenty other places to go in Shanghai to satisfy one's quest for nostalgia.

Rows of elegant apartment buildings that housed the Shanghai elites of those days when the city was known around the world, for better or worse, as adventurers' paradise continue to stand along the tree-lined streets in what was then the French Concession. Some of the best examples of such buildings can be found on Ruijin Second Road, where the hotel is located. Many more are located on the adjacent roads and alleys, which have also become home to numerous specialty shops, fashion boutiques and charming cafes.

My personal favorite is 1933 on Maoming. I have no idea what's so significant about that particular year. But it's a place where you can spend a relaxing Saturday afternoon with friends.

E-mail: jamesleung@chinadaily.com.cn

主站蜘蛛池模板: 久久精品免费视频观看 | 毛片在线观看视频 | 欧美国产综合在线 | 久久九九有精品国产56 | 男女午夜性爽快免费视频不卡 | 成人性色生活片免费网 | 欧美极品欧美精品欧美视频 | 日韩精品亚洲专区在线观看 | 日韩欧美一区二区三区在线观看 | 欧美另类在线观看 | 国产大秀视频 | 亚洲免费网站在线观看 | 国产日韩欧美综合一区二区三区 | 久久久久久国产视频 | 综合在线视频 | 久久九九爱 | 欧美成人三级网站 | 国产日韩精品一区二区三区 | 久久中出 | 国产成人综合高清在线观看 | 久久国产成人精品国产成人亚洲 | 中文字幕最新中文字幕中文字幕 | 亚洲欧洲日产国产 最新 | 乱码一区 | 久久精品国产免费高清 | 亚洲精品亚洲人成人网 | 精品久久久视频 | 日韩精品一区二区三区高清 | 欧美亚洲国产精品久久久久 | 成年人视频在线免费播放 | 99久久精品国产免看国产一区 | 国内精品美女写真视频 | 亚洲欧美影院 | 亚洲国产精品久久久久秋霞不卡 | 一区二区三区免费视频播放器 | 色网站在线观看 | 亚洲精品自产拍在线观看 | 正在播放国产乱子伦视频 | 日韩美女一区二区三区 | 日本久久99 | 中国一级淫片aaa毛片毛片 |