In 1917, Shanghai was considered
the "Paradise of Adventurers". What amazing notions come to mind when
you read that?
The Treaty Port of Shanghai had a
large population of Europeans – German, Italian, French; people from the USA,
Russia, and the UK. The Europeans built large, Western style banks, insurance
companies, and hotels on The Bund.
In the early part of the 20th
Century the number of expatriates moving to Shanghai for lucrative work
opportunities meant that good accommodation was needed in the city.
In 1858, on a parcel of land
reclaimed from swamp, The Astor House Hotel was built. The location was prime,
right on the juncture of Soochow Creek and the Whangpoo River, at the northern
end of The Bund. It was five stories high and by 1917 it was advertised as “the
Waldorf Astoria of the Orient”. Sheer luxury, comfort, and with all mod cons,
the Astor House Hotel was, for travellers and European locals alike, the centre
of social activity. In a city with many luxury hotels and clubs, the Astor
House was special.
- In 1882, it was the first
building in China to be lit by electricity.
- In 1883, it was the first hotel
in Shanghai to install running water. Every suite had its own bathroom with hot
and cold running water.
- In 1901, it was the first
building in Shanghai to receive a telephone call. Thereafter, every suite had
its own telephone.
I could go on, but I’m sure you
get my drift. Marble floors, pillars and walls. A glass atrium room that let in
natural light the length of the dining room, which by the way, seated five
hundred. Electric fans cooled patrons in the dining room. During dinner, a
symphony orchestra played on the mezzanine floor above diners.
Peacock Hall was the first
Ballroom in Shanghai, and at 847 square metres in area, it was—and still is—very
impressive. Yes, it was built on the ground floor of Astor House. Its amazing
glass ceiling, 14 metres high, remains today.
So, when my long-awaited
historical novel Stone of Heaven and
Earth is released in March, you will
understand why Darl, Anne, and Madame
Liechtenstein loved having lunch, or sometimes high tea at the Astor House
Hotel.
Sorry to finish on a sad note,
but on 1st January this year, only weeks ago, The Astor House Hotel
(often called Pujiang Hotel by the Chinese) was sold. I had harboured a strong
desire to revisit China and to spend a night at the Astor House, but it will no
longer happen. The hotel is to be closed and renovated into a block of private
office space.
STONE OF HEAVEN AND EARTH - New historical fiction from Noelle Clark
Spanning the years 1914 to 1929, Stone of Heaven
and Earth is an epic tale of love and loss, extravagant expatriate
lifestyles, intense danger, heroic acts, and the hideous effects of a cruel and
barbaric civil war. The complex and volatile politics in China is played out in
the intimate story of two intrepid couples, foreigners who embarked on the
adventure of a lifetime and made their home in China.
