Preserving Tianjin’s architectural gems makes commercial cents

UPON arriving at the Astor Hotel, Liu Sutong was fascinated by what unfolded before his eyes — polished wooden doors, shining wall lamps, exquisite hand-made carpets and a grand piano, not to mention the more than 3,000 cultural relics and exhibits.

Liu and his friends, from northeast China’s Jilin Province, specifically booked the Astor for the weeklong Spring Festival holiday in north China’s Tianjin City.

“I heard about this centuryold hotel before I came here,” Liu said. “Its architecture attracted me.”

He Lin, the hotel’s general manager, added: “America’s 31st president Herbert Hoover spent his honeymoon in room 388.”

Last year, the hotel received about 150,000 guests.

The Astor Hotel, founded in 1863 by a British merchant, is one of the 440 European-style buildings that were constructed in the former British concession.

Their unique architecture, ranging from the Renaissance and Gothic to Romantic, is enjoying a resurgence in popularity and being protected by city authorities.

With the help of the local government, the Astor Hotel has undergone several renovations, retaining the old address, name and original building style.

Cai Yunpeng, director of the Tianjin Housing and Urban-Rural Construction Commission, said that the local government issued a regulation in 2005 to protect, renovate and revitalize these old buildings, which have been transformed into banks, financial institutions and hotels.

By introducing a Big Data management system, information on the historical Western-style buildings in Tianjin has been uploaded into a housing resources database.

“The historical relics need to be protected in the process of development,” Cai said.

The first batch of 60 buildings has been identified for investment, as well as new enterprises in areas such as artificial intelligence, biomedicine and green energy. Built in 1922, Prince Qing’s Mansion was given its name after it was bought by Zaizhen, the fourth Prince Qing in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

The mansion’s original courtyard, as well as wood carvings, oil paintings and chandeliers, have all been preserved.

“This historical mansion opened to the public in June 2018 and has so far received a total of 420,000 visits,” said Yan Liang, general manager of its management company.

Cai added: “We will further protect and explore Tianjin’s historical and cultural resources and enhance the city’s unique charm.”

(Xinhua)