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5 places to feel that 1930s historic Shanghai vibe
Get a feel for the glamour and fun of 1930s Shanghai at these five portals that have yet to be taken down in the name of urban renewal
A taste of the 1930s Shanghai vibe at the Mansion Hotel.Art deco dance halls, jazz tunes, gangsters and good-time girls -- there’s little wonder that Shanghai captured the world’s imagination in the 1930s. And, that a whiff of latter-day bohemia still underscores life here. Get a feel for the glamour and fun of 1930s Shanghai at these five venues caught in a time warp.
1. Gangster no more: Mansion Hotel
A former gangster base that supposedly once trafficked up to 40 percent of the world’s opium, Jin Tingsun’s French Concession villa is now a 32-room heritage hotel. Pull up a velvet armchair in the museum-like lobby of the Mansion Hotel and enjoy a rare recording played on vintage gramophones of Beijing opera great Mei Lanfang.
The cross-dressing singer used to perform for mob boss Du Yuesheng on a small stage in the reception area.
Mansion Hotel, 82 Xinle Lu, near Xiangyang Lu 新乐路82号, 襄阳路, +86 21 5403 9888, www.chinamansionhotel.com
2. Insight at the Astor
In contrast to the rarefied re-creation of Mansion Hotel, Astor House Hotel is filled with faded memories of five-star glory. The historic Shanghai 150-year-old institution was the first city building to install electric lights and telephones, and its Peacock Hall was the haunt of high-society in 1920s and 1930s Shanghai. So far spared from major restoration, much of the original Victorian detailing thankfully remains.
Wander the wide hallways, with their creaky hardwood floors and high ceilings, and feel yourself stepping back in time.
Astor House Hotel, 15 Huangpu Lu, near Dongdaming Lu 黄浦路15号, 近东大名路, +86 21 6324 3179, www.pujianghotel.com
3. Rhythm in the House of Jazz & Blues
Historic Shanghai and jazz go together like gin and tonic, and local TV and radio personality Lin Dongfu gets the mix just right at his House of Blues & Jazz in a Bund-side restored villa. Decorated with wood-paneled walls and art deco furnishings, the club hosts a musical roster of top jazz and blues bands from the international circuit along with jam sessions on Sundays.
Kick back with a cigar and cocktail and foot-tap to the syncopated rhythms of Shanghai.
House of Blues & Jazz, 60 Fuzhou Lu, near Sichuan Lu 福州路60号, 近四川路, tel. +86 21 6323 2779
4. Soul on the Bund
Heaving with bicycles, construction and local buzz by day, the Bund empties out after dark so that you can walk through the shadowy roads and almost feel the ghosts of opium lords and taxi dancers of 1930s Shanghai -- or it could be the breeze off the water. Work your way up the Bund and admire one of the best collections of art deco buildings in the world -- no small feat.
Start from Bund 1 which was originally the McBain Building and housed the Shanghai offices of Royal Dutch Shell and Asiatic Petroleum Company and finish your tour at Bund 33 which housed the Consulate-General of the United Kingdom and reopened as the Peninsula Hotel.
The Bund, 外灘 (waitan)
5. Spin in the Paramount
Built in 1934, the thrusting art deco Paramount was the most luxuriously appointed dance hall in the Far East. Sadly, the original interiors have been lost in restoration and the main hall has been turned into a Taiwanese nightclub. But don’t despair -- tucked away on the fourth floor you can still find a gloriously tacky ballroom. Join the middle-aged taitais and their younger male dance instructors and literally kick up your heels historic Shanghai 1930s style.
Paramount, 218 Yuyuan Lu, near Wanhangdu Lu 愚园路218号, 近万航渡路, +86 21 5213 3818
