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Version française Those who know me can testify that I am not really fond of dreadful or gloomy places. So they might be surprised by my commenting of a former slaughterhouse in Shanghai.   The 1933 Old Millfun, as it called, is indeed the former largest slaughterhouse in Asia and was build, as its name suggests it, in 1933 by British architect Balfours. The place is not only famous for its and dull past but more for its more recent transformation into a most trendy and fashionable venue in Shanghai. 1933 has indeed a... [Lire la suite]

Version française I had the priviledge to be invited this week at a private projection of the documentary "As Time Goes By In Shanghai" by German filmmaker Uli Gaulke. This 90 minutes document tells the story of six old gentlemen, the members of the famous Peace Hotel Old Jazz Band. Through the odissey of these some 70 years old or more figures, we definitely understand the dramatic changes which occured in China over the last sixty years (read my article in French Les Chinois face à leur Histoire).  As the... [Lire la suite]

English version Cette semaine , j'ai eu l'honneur d'assister à la projection privée au Fairmont Peace Hotel d'un petit bijou: "As Time Goes By In Shanghai", documentaire de 90 minutes du réalisateur allemand Uli Gaulke relatant l'incroyable histoire des six vénérables vieillards qui forment le Peace Hotel Old Jazz Band. A travers le parcours de ces septuagénaires (pour les plus jeunes), on réalise avec émotion les énormes changements intervenus en Chine depuis soixante ans (voir article sur les Chinois face à leur... [Lire la suite]

Looking for a place to swim last summer, I got into the idea of looking for old swimming pools in Shanghai as a habit from my time back in Paris. Actually there were a few swimming pools in Shanghai during the 30’s, most of them related to foreign clubs.    The longest in town The longest swimming pool could be found inside the Cercle Sportif Français on Rue du Cardinal Mercier (today Maoming Road). A 54 meters long swimming pool covered by white and blue tiles and overlooked by a bar (left photo). Indoor swimming... [Lire la suite]

Version Française As China is going to start the Year of the Horse, I want to appologize to post this less enthousiatic article about the city heritage. I hope the efforts untertaken by the city to preserve its culture and architecture legacy will go on in 2014. Happy New Year to everyone. 新年快乐！   The famous poet Aimé Césaire once said: "A people without memory is a people without future". Hearing this, what should we think when we see entire quarters of the Old Shanghai being torn down by bulldozers? Today almost 80% of... [Lire la suite]

English version Alors que la Chine s'apprete à célébrer l'Année du Cheval, je m'excuse par avance de poster un article moins optimiste qu'à l'habitude. Malgré le constat mitigé que je fais ici, j'espère que se poursuivra les efforts entrepris par la ville de préservation de la culture shanghaienne . Je vous souhaite à tous une excellente année du Cheval sous le signe de l'espoir! 新年快乐！ Aimé Césaire disait «Un peuple sans mémoire est un peuple sans avenir». Que penser alors quand on voit des pans entiers du Vieux Shanghai... [Lire la suite]

Version Française Although I have visited many times the Peace Hotel (read 25/10/2013 article and 6/2/2013 article), I still had no occasion to see the real heart of it, I mean the apartments of Sir Victor Sassoon. As it is now the case, I would like to share with you this unique experience. Who is Victor Sassoon? Heir of a rich Jewish Sefardim family from Bagdad, Victor Elice Sassoon is the second generation of Sassoon living in Shanghai. Quite of figure of a man, Sir Victor Sassoon was fond of parties, women... [Lire la suite]

English version Depuis que je visite le Peace Hotel (voir article du 24/10/2013 et article du 6 février 2013) je n’avais pas eu l’occasion d’accéder au saint des saints, je veux parler des appartements privés du fondateur de ce lieu unique, Sir Victor Sassoon. C’est désormais chose faite et je suis heureux de pouvoir partager avec vous ces moments d'exception. Qui est Victor Sassoon? Issu d’une richissime famille juive Séfarade originaire de Bagdad, Victor Elias Sassoon appartient à la deuxième génération des Sassoon... [Lire la suite]

 Article en Français I recently posted an article about Qingdao, well-known for its German architecture (and beer) heritage. However few people know that Shanghai also had its German time when German influence was competing with the French and the British. Following the second Opium War, in the 1860’s, many German traders settled in Shanghai. They soon became very successful and at the turn of the century, the German Empire economic power was even prevailing on the British. German businessmen were indeed considered very... [Lire la suite]

English version J’ai récemment écrit un article sur Qingdao, ville de Chine connue pour son héritage allemand. Mais peu de gens savent que Shanghai a aussi connu une période de forte influence allemande. En fait, il ėtait un temps où la skyline de Shanghai était tout aussi allemande que britannique ou française. Suivant la deuxième guerre de l’opium en 1860, de nombreux colons et hommes d’affaires allemands s’installent à Shanghai à tel point qu’au début du siècle, la présence commerciale allemande à Shanghai dépasse celle... [Lire la suite]