A 140-Year-Old Establishment - The Astor Hotel

▪️ Founded in 1863, during the aftermath of the Second Opium War, Tianjin was forced to open as a port, and foreign concessions were subsequently established. The hotel was originally built by the British missionary William Ingram as an inn on the west bank of the Hai River, a three-story building with a strong Western European rural ambiance. It was later transformed into a luxurious edifice by the chairman of the British Concession's Public Works Department, Mr. De Courcy Ireland, standing tall in Tianjin. ▪️ The grand hall, corridors, and guest rooms of the old building still retain the European Victorian style. The magnificent staircase, wooden handrails, grand chandeliers, and bar counter seem to echo the enchanting sounds of the dance halls from the Republican era 💃. ▪️ The hotel's exclusive museum houses precious historical artifacts and documents, including dinnerware used by Mr. Sun Yat-sen, banquets of President Yuan Shikai, and dance parties of Puyi and Wanrong; an old Bible from 1873, a complete Shakespeare collection from 1876, and the oldest elevator in China from 1924, all narrating the hotel's history that spans three centuries, its vicissitudes, and little-known legendary tales. 📌 The century-old Astor is not considered ancient