This gallery contains 20 photos.
The British Concession was the oldest foreign concession in Tientsin, dating from 1860. It was leased in perpetuity to the British Crown and occupied some 200 acres on the left bank of Pei Ho River. The seat of administration was … Continue reading
This gallery contains 9 photos.
Of all the cities on this Grand Tour of the Far East, Tientsin (spelled Tianjin in pinyin) is my favourite by far, for three reasons. First – unlike any other treaty port in China, Korea or Japan, Tientsin consists of 8 … Continue reading
This gallery contains 2 photos.
It seems almost like an oversight that I haven’t already expounded at length on this topic – so integral to the entire experience of my entire Grand Tour of the Far East has this been. You see, I dislike travelling with people. … Continue reading
This gallery contains 13 photos.
The grande dame of the Tsingtao hospitality scene at the turn of the century was the Hotel Prinz Heinrich, built in 1899 by the Germans on a stunning location along the Tsingtao waterfront. It was named after Prince Heinrich of … Continue reading
This gallery contains 16 photos.
In 1914, following Japan’s declaration of war on Germany – Japan was part of the Allies in World War I – the Empire of the Rising Sun occupied the former German colony of Tsingtao. It would rule the city twice … Continue reading
This gallery contains 26 photos.
The Eight Passes Villa District, or Badaguan, is the most beautiful area of Tsingtao city, hands down. A residential district, it was built by the Germans between 1898 – 1914, and then subsequently enhanced and beautified during the Japanese era. … Continue reading
This gallery contains 33 photos.
Today’s Qingdao is regarded as one of the most beautiful cities in China. And much of it has got to do with its architectural heritage, which has been remarkably preserved, and is set against a dramatic natural landscape of sea … Continue reading
This gallery contains 13 photos.
Tsingtao (known as “Qingdao” today) is a rarity in the history of colonialism – in that it was a German colony. The Germans came late in the colonial game (in the 1890s); and they established a scattering of colonies in … Continue reading
This gallery contains 5 photos.
Last week I paid a visit to the venerable Hotel Des Indes in The Hague (the Netherlands) – the sister hotel to the late Hotel Des Indes in Batavia (today’s Jakarta), sadly demolished by Soeharto in the 1970s. It struck … Continue reading
This gallery contains 10 photos.
Unlike the rest of the cities on this second Grand Tour, Hankou / Wuhan has no Grand Hotel; or at least, none of the same stature. It does have two famous historic hotels, both of which were, unfortunately, no longer … Continue reading
