Step into the Old Shanghai Dream of "72 Tenants" | Shanghai Film CHAO
The year I first attended the Shanghai International Film Festival was when Hotel B opened, and I met Joan Chen at the sharing session. My second festival coincided with the launch of Shanghai Film CHAO. This year, as one of the "72 tenants," I leaned on the sofa by a window full of plane trees and red rooftops, reading Joan Chen’s *Catfish*. Her delicate prose paints the urban landscape, everyday life, and emotional states of ordinary people in 1990s Shanghai...
✨72 rooms, 72 stories, 72 shades of old Shanghai warmth
Open this door, and you become the protagonist of the story.
Inspired by the classic film *72 Tenants*, this building tucked away on Xinhua Road—known as "Shanghai’s First Garden Avenue"—has been transformed into the Shanghai Film CHAO Hotel. Each room is a unique frame of Shanghai memories 🎞️
🔑 Every key card is a special gift
▪️ Each card features a distinct pattern, like an old movie ticket stub or a piece of art.
▪️ The key comes with a foil-stamped sleeve, making it your personal keepsake.
☕️ "Shanghai details" in the room
▪️ Cups sit in vintage sliding glass cabinets, alongside White Rabbit candies and coffee candies—nostalgic childhood treats for Shanghainese kids.
▪️ A wall-mounted dryer banishes the dampness of rainy season, leaving clothes smelling like sunshine.
▪️ The shadows of plane trees outside dance on the sheer curtains, like a silent film.
▪️ Breakfast is just a bowl of scallion oil noodles and small wontons—simple perfection.
▪️ The vinyl record room? Pure Shanghai vibes.
🎬 Things you didn’t know about Shanghai Film CHAO
▪️ Built in the 1930s, the Xinhua Liangbai was designed by a British architect, blending Eastern and Western architectural aesthetics.
▪️ The lobby display case recently featured classic stills from Shanghai Film Studio productions.
▪️ The garden theater, screening room... look forward to indie films in the private cinema.
▪️ Continuing the legacy of Beijing CHAO’s Light Hall, this space leans even more into cinematic texture.
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📌 Stay tips
📍Address: 200 Xinhua Road (near Shanghai Film Art Center)
Nearby:
▪️ 5-minute walk to László Hudec’s Sunke Villa.
▪️ 10-minute stroll to Xingfu Li for coffee.
▪️ Hidden Thai Bistro serves great Thai cuisine.