Peace Hotel and Bank of China

Owing to various historical reasons, most buildings and housing estates along the Bund were owned by foreign businessmen. However, the Chinese governmental organs and private businessmen tried hard to have their shares. The competitions between the Chinese and foreign businessmen had been quite intense. After the World War I, as a victorious nation, China took over the former German Club in 1934 (next to Sassoon House). After pulling down the building of the German Club, the Bank of China got the right to rebuild.

The then Kuomintang's Bank of China intended to show off by building a 34-story building, the highest one in the Far East at that time for its office use. The Voh Kee Construction Co Ltd, the first-rate construction company at that time, was contracted to start the project. When the designing and all preparations were ready for the project including the completion of the foundation that could stand a 34-story building and was about to break ground, Sassoon, the owner of the Sassoon House nicknamed the “Crippled Sassoon ” came out and wantonly interfered. He clamored, “Here is the British concession and any house built next to my building is not allowed to be higher than the spire of the Sassoon House”. The Municipal Council of the British concession also wallowed together in the mire and refused to issue permit for the project on the pretext that the Chinese was not able to build a 34-story building. Then the Kuomintang's Bank of China brought a lawsuit against the crippled Sassoon . However, according to treacherous Tianjin Treaty, the Chinese government had no right to make decision on any suit that was related with the British residents. It was said that this lawsuit was finally brought to London and at last the Bank of China lost the lawsuit. The building of the Bank of China was finally 30 centimetres lower than the 77-meter-high Sassoon House The reason for this false decision was that Chinese were poor in designing ability and the 34-story building would do harm to the foundations of the surrounding buildings---it was the crippled Sassoon who kicked out 18 stories away.

Peace Hotel is truly a fusion of ancient and modern, Eastern and Western. The 12-storey Peace Hotel, built in the Gothic style of the Chicago School, first opened as the Cathay Hotel in1929.The hotel's granite exterior with its copper-sheathed roof rises 77 metres above ground level. The first owner of the Cathay Hotel was Victor Sassoon, an Iraqi Jew of British who had made a fortune trading in opium and weapons. The hotel was symbolized the most luxurious "Number One mansion in the Far East " along the Bund for it's the milky-yellow walls, the revolving hall gate, the white floor of Italian marble, and the copper-colored chandelier.
Cathay Hotel was well known in Shanghai for its luxury and magnificence. It accommodated mostly distinguished guests from countries all over the world, including Politicians, financiers, entrepreneurs, important Chinese officials and Social celebrities, such as General Marshall, Charlie Chaplin, Bernard Shaw. And it was in Cathay Hotel that Noel Coward completed his famous play "Private lives".After the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, the hotel reopened as Peace Hotel in 1956. And after recent renovation, all the rooms and restaurants are furnished with first-class facilities to provide guests with the best comfort and convenience.

30's Peace Hotel
(North Building)

20's Peace Hotel
(South Building)


the scence when North Building was building	lobby northern gate in 1929	lobby ladder in 1929

reception desk of Peace Hotel in 1929

living room of eight floor in 1929

The Treasure of Peace Hotel - the Art of Lalique
	The North Building was built in 1926, and was completed in 1929, first opened as Cathay Hotel in September 5,1929. Sassoon Building established by E.V.Sassoon, Who was an English Jew. From its 4th to 9th floor was the Cathay Hotel. Every part of this hotel, from its exterior design to its interior decoration,
symbolized the most luxurious Number One mansion in the Far East along the Bund. One might feel admiration to the most with the glass works of art inset as decoration in a few restaurants and reception rooms. Mr. Sassoon also invited the feature store of these glass works of art into the hotel, located in the shopping area on the West Side of the building. Globally popular in the last century, Lalique is a special kind of glass work of art, the founder of which was a Frenchman. The most famous article of this type is a glass work of art named Opalescent glass Articles burned out by this technology display special color effects, which fall into mainly the transparent and frosted categories. These articles appear as ivory from distance and dark blue if seeing closely, and they turn out to be fresh red like a ball of flame against the light, which is really fantastic. After the death of Ren, his offspring inherited his cause and made improvement, which resulted in the second and third generations of articles. The articles sold on European markets and the JJ Disheng Department Store are all articles of the third generation. The price for articles of the first generation goes up to very high. A few years ago, some members from the Lalique family once visited the hotel and claimed that the Lalique articles kept by the hotel could be equal to the value of half of the hotel's total assets.


Aluminum Record--The Precious of Peace Hotel
	The predecessor of Peace Hotel, Cathay Hotel,is a luxury hotel founded by a Britain Jewish named Victor Sasson in 1929. Granite outer walls; green pyramidal coppery tower revolving hall gates; capacious hall and corridors;Italian-style marble around and pillars:01d-fashioned bronze lamps;
rich-decorated restaurant with gorgeous lights; the incomparable Special Suite of 9 States---so perfect they are as to be both magnificent and elegant; which won it honor of First Hotel in Far East'. Cathay Hotel's awareness of "Being No.1" can be also found When it tries to make some "Scoops".Take the ceremony--no matter birthdays, weddings or anniversaries--for example, other hotels may drop an end after it's over, while Cathay will burn an aluminum record for the customer as souvenir. One of such records owners is Mr.Tang Wuii, the great nephew of Mr.Tang Shaoyi, Who was the first prime minister in the Republic Of China. This record was made when Mr.Tang Shaoyi's grandfather Mr.Zhou Jiniue was celebrating his 60th birthday 1938 in Grand Restaurant of Cathay Hotel. A lot of guests were invited, among which children were very excited. There was a device used for making records, Which cannot be seen even now. Due to the limit of equipment and technology, they did not record the complete ceremony. The record was made in a tiny room like a telephone box on the ground floor, just to the left of Jazz Pub today as Mr.Tang Wuji recalled. A single record can ho1d only 4 minutes content and be played on a 78rbS/S phonograph. Mr. Zhou Jinjue made 3 records of his speech in the ceremony named "To Build Contribution, Morality & Words". His third daughter MS. Zhou Shuping and seventh daughter Ms.Zhou Zhifu(mother of Mr.Tang Wuji) a1so made one each with a song to father and some blessing words. on the faces of these records are Hotel's English instructions such as "Welcome!We'1l provide you best service!" While on the back the event itself.They experienced many calamities during the later years and also brought the family great happiness, which made 90-year-old Mr.Zhou zhifu quite moved.

	In March 1936, Charlie Chaplin, the great American comedian and actor together with his wife Paulette Goddard who played the leading female role in the film “ The Modern Times” stayed in Room 51 (now Room 568).
	The British playwright Lord Noel Coward completed his most famous work, the drama “ Private Lives” in Room 314.
	The Ninth Heaven Hall is a high-class banquet hall of Peace Hotel . Its doors are decorated with high-grade Lalique art deco glass. The balcony of the dinning hall is the perfect location where one can enjoy and admire the renowned Bund , Huangpu River and Pudong. The hall has received many heads of state and government officials from both at home and abroad on many occasions. In January 1964, Premier Zhou Enlai met French Premier Edgar Faure at the Ninth Heaven Hall. The Establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France was announced a few days later. On June 30, 1998, Xu Kuangdi, Mayor of Shanghai and his wife hosted a banquet in the Ninth Heaven Hall in honor of US President Bill Clinton and his wife Hillary.
	In January 1965, Premier Zhou Enlai worked in Room 742.
	In October 1963, Ishibashi Kanzan, former Japanese prime minister, once stayed in Room 62 (now room 678).
	Rooms 600-606 were once the chancery of the Japanese Consulate General in Shanghai .
	Hua Luogeng, the famous Chinese mathematician, once stayed in Room 4403.
	Hua Luogeng, the famous Chinese mathematician, once stayed in Room 703.
	Edgar Snow, American journalist and writer of “ the Red Star over China ”, stopped over in Shanghai and stayed in Room 73.(now Room 788) during his visit to China in 1960. Later he left for Beijing and was received by Chairman Mao Zedong.
	British Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery paid a visit to China in 1960. Stopping over in Shanghai , he came to Peace Hotel and stayed in Room 72 (now Room 778). During his visit to China , he was received by Chairman Mao Zedong. In October 1987, Jiang Zemin had an interview with an American female journalist in Room 778.
	In May 1994, Muhammad Ali, American “King of The World Boxing Fraternity”, stayed in Room 643 with his wife Lonnie during his visit to Shanghai .
	The Palace Hall is a high-class banquet hall with a history of over one hundred years. In 1909, the International Opium Conference was held in the Palace Hall with the participation of China , Britain , the United States , France and several other countries. In 1911, Sun Yat-Sen left for Nanjing to assume the office of the provisional president of the Republic of China. During his stopover in Shanghai , a welcoming reception was held in the Palace Hall by people from all walks of life.
	In 1927, Chiang Kai-shek and Soong Mei-ling held their “ Engagement Ceremony” at the Palace Hall.
	When t he USSR naval fleet visited China in 1956, its officers entered Peace Hotel from the famous east gate. When the Indian naval fleet visited Shanghai in 1957, its officers entered Peace Hotel from the east gate. When US President Bill Clinton came to Shanghai in 1998, he also entered the hotel from the east gate. In August 1933, Lu Xun, the Chinese writer walked upstairs from here to meet Lord Malan of the United Kingdom .
	The Peace Hall is in the typical Baroque Palace architectural style. Members of the US Table Tennis Delegation once stayed in Peace Hotel while they were in Shanghai during their visit to China upon special invitation in 1971. A grand welcoming banquet was held at the Peace Hall. In 1988, Jiang Zemin hosted a welcome banquet at the Peace Hall in honour of President Luis Echeverria of Mexico . In October 1998, Wang Daohan, President of the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits and Koo Chen-fu, Chairman of the Straits Exchange Foundation, held “ Wang-Koo Talks” at the Peace Hall.
	Peace Hotel Jazz Bar, a bar with typical British flavor and country style, is noted for its splendid performances by the Old Jazz Band . Many guests both from home and abroad have come to enjoy their music, including heads of state and government leaders from Australia, Holland, Portugal, Italy, France, Greece, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Finland, Spain etc ..
	The Peace Hotel Sassoon Room, now a high-class banquet hall, was formerly the private suite of Sir Victor Sassoon, a British Jew and the builder of the hotel.
	The unique Telephone Booth of the Dragon & Phoenix Restaurant is a structure of a “typical vault style', using the method of ancient Chinese architecture featuring the echoing of acoustic sound.
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