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Alexandre Léonard: The Man. The Art Deco. The Mystery.

This Sunday, we'll explore the Art Deco buildings designed by Alexandre Léonard, one of Shanghai's most talented architects, and finish up with a special treat: a visit to the penthouse apartment where he lived--and from which he disappeared, without a trace. Will we solve the mystery of his ...

Bookshelf: Bernardine’s Shanghai Salon: The Story of the Doyenne of Old China

When we first meet Bernardine Szold, it’s 1929, and she’s on a train heading for Dairen (Dalian) to marry her fourth husband, suffering dreadful pre-wedding jitters (or perhaps it’s simply a premonition?). Chester Fritz, that fourth husband, did turn out be a mistake, but he had one thing going ...

László Hudec: Shanghai’s Master Builder

This Saturday October 12, our "The Hudec, Inside Out" walk explores some of architect László Hudec's iconic buildings. finishing up at a new exhibition of never-before-seen material from the Hudec archives. It's one not to miss! To book, click here. You know Hudec’s buildings: The I.S.S. ...

St. Theresa’s Church: A Shanghai Story

The story of St. Theresa’s Church is the story of Shanghai. From the 1927 White Terror to French Jesuit missionaries, a 19th century saint, 20th century radios, and a 21st century reimagining. St Theresa’s was completed in 1931, and from the beginning was truly a church of this cosmopolitan ...

Thanksgiving in Old Shanghai

A service of Thanksgiving. A big turkey dinner, with all the trimmings. A hotly contested football classic. It all sounds very traditional, very American, and so it was: it was Thanksgiving in 1930s Shanghai. Thanksgiving Service at Holy Trinity Left: Holy Trinity Cathedral, where ...

Shanghai’s Sun Yat-sen Birthday Statue

On November 12 1933, grand birthday celebrations for Sun Yat-sen were underway in Shanghai. The birthday of the "father of the nation", whose 1911 revolution ended more than 2,000 years of imperial rule, had been celebrated since his death in 1925, and on this autumn day at the Greater Shanghai City ...

The Kidnapping of Wei Tingrong

By Dan Stein // On July 24, 1929, Wei Tingrong’s chauffeur picked him up at the prestigious Sino-French Bank, where he was the boss. The sophisticated, dapper French-speaking Wei was near the apex of Shanghai Chinese society, with wealth and influence unimaginable for most of his countrymen. Wei ...