Shanghai hotel launches a search for its history

The general manager of a landmark hotel in Shanghai last week appealed for former guests to get in contact if they own memorabilia from the property.

The Peace Hotel, a luxury hotel on Shanghai's famous Bund that was a global landmark in its heyday, is set to reopen this year, complete with a new museum dedicated to its history.

To complete the collection, general manager Kamal Naamani is asking anyone who has items from the hotel's history to consider returning them.

"To fully showcase the rich heritage of China's grandest hotel, we'd love past guests to share with us their memories, memorabilia and 'borrowed' items so we can record and preserve history for future generations," said Naamani.

Wanted items include silverware, chinaware, monogrammed goods, historic photographs, postcards, art, past menus, trinkets and great stories or anecdotes.

Contributors who temporarily or permanently bequeath items for the exhibition will receive an invitation to a special cocktail reception at the hotel this fall.

"We are excited to see what memories and items find their way back, and we're committed to creating an archive of this great landmark's history so we can continue to share this with future generations," Naamani continued.

Before the outbreak of the Second World War, the Peace Hotel was one of the most famous establishments in Asia, along with the Peninsula Hong Kong, the Raffles Singapore, the Chosun Korea and the Imperial Tokyo.

It will reopen from spring 2010 onwards after a three-year closure and extensive refurbishment.

http://www.fairmont.com/