| The Benjamin Morris family estate, now the Ruijin Hotel,
is comprised of four houses, numerous outbuildings and ornate
gardens covering almost 100 acres. One of the earliest"Temples"
in Shanghai is located on the grounds. On the vast lawn of Building
Number 1, history buffs can find "the original Archway
entrance to the Temple along with the Stone Lions that guarded
the entrance" The Morris family owned the North China
Daily News, the oldest English-language newspaper in China.
They also bred racing dogs and owned "Canidrome"
(a dog racing track) located just across the street at the
rear of the property.
Prior to opening its doors to the public, the hotel was the
official guesthouse of the Shanghai regional government. The
first mayor of Shanghai chose the Ruijin as both his office
and residence. It accommodated Party Leaders, Liu Shao Qi,
Zhu De, Dong Bi Wu, Zhou En Lai and others. Leaders of many
countries also stayed here: President Soekarno of Indonesia,
the Prime Minister of India, President Ho Chi Min of Vietnam,
President Jin Ri Chen of the Republic of Korea, US President
Nixon, as well as other government emissaries. In 1979, the
Shanghai municipal government decided to open the hotel to
the public. Since that time the hotel has hosted many famous
scholars, business leaders, and tourists from all over the
world.
Visitors can enjoy the wonderful history and unique combination
of British and Chinese design elements at the Ruijin Hotel.
View
the Map of Ruijin Hotel |