During this year’s National Day holiday, many people chose not to leave their provinces and cities because of concerns about the epidemic, so the trend of “traveling in situ” emerged. It is certainly a good thing to know more about the local customs, but many people like to look for distant scenery locally. For example: Many Internet celebrity photos in Xiaohongshu call Guangzhou Changdi the "Little Bund". looks for a substitute for Shanghai style culture in the place that contains Lingnan culture. is actually a reference to the history and culture of the two places. ignorance.
Indeed, the fame of Guangzhou Changdi in the 21st century is far less than that of Shanghai Bund, but the stories about this stretch of road in the 20th century were only a lot more exciting.
Changti began reclamation and embankment construction at the end of the 19th century, and gradually transformed into a commercial hub in the next 30 years. As the first road in Guangzhou, just a few kilometers from east to west are dotted with modern buildings such as hospitals, teahouses, department stores, hotels, theaters, and schools.
Not only does it have a technologically advanced Western Medicine Hospital (now Guangdong Medical University ), the "Xianshi Cantonese Travel" integrating amusement parks, department stores, hotels and restaurants, but also the Haizhu Grand Theater where you can watch Cantonese opera and play color movies. Pearl Cinema, and Da Sanyuan Restaurant, one of the four major restaurants in Guangzhou. There is also a large hotel here that became famous in the 1930s, once far surpassing the Peace Hotel in Shanghai.
▲In 1931, the view in front of the new embankment (today’s along Jiangxi Road). Picture source watermark
▲ Xianshi Department Store a hundred years ago, Picture source network
This is the " Aiqun Hotel " that is familiar to Guangzhou people. After a sensational opening, being occupied and bombed by the Japanese army, and after the founding of the People's Republic of China, it specially received foreign guests and overseas Chinese. , and finally fell into loneliness.
Founded in 1937, Aiqun Hotel is the first landmark of Guangzhou. It has witnessed the turmoil and glory of Guangzhou in more than 80 years.
After eighty-four years of standing by the river,
To talk about the birth of Aiqun Hotel, we must first talk about Yanjiang West Road where it is located.
In the 1930s, Yanjiang West Road was still part of the Pearl River , and Changdi Avenue was still a road along the river. There is a Haizhu Island (also known as Haizhu Stone ) , one of the three famous stones in Guangzhou and one of the eight scenic spots in Guangzhou in the Song Dynasty and the Ming Dynasty .
▲The long embankment that has not yet been filled with soil, picture source network
In addition to sea pearls, this stretch of water is also covered with large and small rocks, undercurrents, and fast currents, posing a threat to passing ships. Therefore, in 1931, the city government decided to blow up Haizhushi and fill in the river. However, the reclamation project required a lot of manpower and material resources, so the government sold the land in advance, and the westernmost triangle was bought by Chen Zhuoping from Taishan.
▲The picture above is the design drawing at that time. The green land on the left is where Aiqun Building is located. The picture below is the corresponding part of the current map. The picture source is Guangzhou old news
. Chen Zhuoping founded Aiqun Life Insurance Company in Hong Kong. The business was prospering, so he wanted to return to the provincial capital to open a branch. It happened that the city government was selling land, and he immediately fell in love with the most popular land.
But I didn’t expect that the land I spent a lot of money to buy was a pile of mud, and the geological conditions were very unsatisfactory. If you build a building rashly, it may not last long. What is even more speechless is that because the embankment project has not been completed and cannot be opened to traffic, the transportation of building materials can only rely on manpower.
But he is not impatient or impatient. Since the conditions are in front of him, it is better to take his time and be practical.
Ever since, he hired a professional company to lay the foundation. There are 88 foundation columns, 404 reinforced concrete piles, and the deepest reaches 18M, and it took 10 months.
▲Picture source watermark
The building is an all-steel frame and poured concrete, like a giant ship steering ahead, majestic and concise. imitates American skyscrapers in style, while integrating Lingnan arcade design, creating a building design that combines Chinese and Western styles.
The most exaggerated thing is the "placking" of the walls. Each worker can only do 1 square meter per day! may have foreseen China's upcoming all-out war against , and they also specially built a military protective enclosure.
Perhaps it is because of this strictness that even after continuous bombing by the Japanese army, the bombs will be bounced away after being dropped, and the tilt of the building is less than 1 centimeter. Compared with today's shoddy projects, the level of conscience 80 years ago is so admirable.
Aiqun Hotel is famous for its luxurious and complete internal equipment and decoration: in order to take care of the height of the 13th floor, has been divided into three different types of elevators , which operate in an orderly manner. There is air conditioning on the first floor, fans everywhere in the building, and heating in winter , so residents can feel comfortable all year round. All stairs, handrails and wooden floors in the building are made of logs imported from the United States, and there are no cracks so far. The sanitary ware in the room is all the latest products imported from the United States, and the water pipes are all made from German products.
▲ Picture source Guangzhou Library
British crystal tableware is durable and has not been damaged so far, while British sterling silver East Merrill Lynch tableware is sparkling.
▲Picture source Aiqun Hotel public account
At that time, Aiqun Hotel was not something ordinary people could covet. People without any identity could not even step into the arcade and corridor in front of the door.
It is a pity that the entire building was painted black during the Japanese occupation. Because there were no color photos at the time, no one knows what the original color of Aiqun was.
The hotel that all Guangzhou people dream of
How important is the Aiqun Hotel? Why would Guangzhou people react so violently to the label "Little Bund"? This is inseparable from Aiqun’s status as a trendsetter.
Before the 1990s, the phrase "I work at Aiqun" was equivalent to the current "I work at Ali / Tencent ". As soon as these words were uttered, they would be envied by peers and praised by elders.
Before the emergence of Guangzhou Hotel in 1967, it had always been the tallest building in Guangzhou. The first choice for all overseas Chinese returning to Guangzhou is Aiqun. Even Mayor Ye Jianying holds a banquet in Aiqun when receiving foreign guests. Aiqun's business was very popular at that time . Guests would often give small gifts to the waiters in order to book another room next time.
For a long time "Aiqun Hotel" and "Aiqun Building" have been the benchmarks in Guangzhou, not only representing high-end and nobility, but also the standard of construction. Heavy machinery factories, paper mills, and Liuxihe Hydropower Station all stipulate that they are taller and stronger than Aiqun.
Not only that, Aiqun is also a "fashion vane". After the reform and opening up, a number of folk art teahouses emerged in Guangzhou. Aiqun Hotel is the only hotel with a folk art teahouse. It is also the birthplace of the earliest pop songs. Most of the first batch of pop singers to emerge in Guangzhou came from here. But later, the teahouse stopped singing pop songs and turned to Cantonese opera. It also attracted domestic and foreign enthusiasts to come to sip tea and listen to Cantonese opera.
Also in the 1980s, Guangzhou people began to have banquets in hotels. Aiqun Hotel, which can be used to show one's identity, has naturally become the first choice for everyone. It would cost an ordinary person a year's income to serve a drink at a time. Even so, many young people in Guangzhou dream that they can have a wedding banquet here that will be the envy of everyone.
In 1984, Aiqun Building also built a revolving restaurant on the top floor, which was known as the "Castle in the Sky in the Downtown Center" and quickly became the most popular dating place for couples. Despite the high price, there is an endless stream of people queuing up every day.
At the same time, Aiqun Building has also exclusively hosted the Canton Fair reception for 10 consecutive years to welcome foreign guests.
html In the 1990s, Aiqun Building ushered in its most glorious period. At that time, Aiqun Building’s annual net profit was close to 10 million yuan. There is no doubt that the Aiqun Hotel, which represents elegance and luxury, has a connection with every Guangzhou person who lived through the 1980s and 1990s, either personally or side by side, and has become an irreplaceable memory mark in everyone's heart.
Today’s house prices are not as good as those of budget hotels
A millennium later, the Aiqun Hotel, which is still standing still, is obviously unable to compete with international hotel brands that are more willing to spend money. Even if it has the most unbeatable river view in Guangzhou, it is still unable to withstand it. .
▲Image source watermark
From an objective point of view, has the greatest impact on the eastward movement of Guangzhou’s commercial center . In the first half of the 20th century, the Changdi was surrounded by Huangsha Pier and Huangsha Railway Station. All tourists who came to Guangzhou set foot here for the first time, which naturally boosted surrounding consumption.
All of this no longer exists. The construction of the Renmin Road elevated road has caused the commercial atmosphere of Renmin Road to plummet. The remaining Shisanhang Clothing Wholesale Market has made the city appearance and traffic a mess. Rich tourists who visit Shamian all stay at the White Swan. Therefore, the nearby Nanfang Building , Da Sanyuan Restaurant , Datong Restaurant, Dagong Restaurant, etc., which were once prosperous, have gradually declined or even disappeared.
From a subjective point of view, the decoration and facilities of Aiqun Hotel have long since failed to keep up with the times. Many guests reported online that the air conditioner was noisy, insufficient, and the facilities were outdated, making their stay uncomfortable. In addition, the hotel still maintains the management and service model of the old state-owned enterprises. Naturally, it is difficult to compare with foreign five-star hotels or even emerging boutique hotels.
▲Image source Dianping user
In terms of objective factors, the government needs to re-plan and construct this land to improve it. But there are still many alternative directions to solve the current dilemma of Aiqun Hotel.
Stay nostalgic, don’t become obsolete
In fact, there are not a few old hotels with a long history at home and abroad that have been successfully revitalized, such as the Old Bell Hotel in the UK, which was built in 1220, and Aiqun, which is also known as the three oldest hotels in Southeast Asia. The Peninsula Hotel in Hong Kong, Raffles in Singapore, etc. are still the first choice for many tourists. Room prices are high but it is often difficult to find a room.
If you want to talk about the typical representative of the revitalization of old hotels in China, you can’t escape the Shanghai Peace Hotel.
▲Peace Hotel, picture source network
In 2007, Jin Jiang Group carried out a three-year closed-door renovation and upgrade of the Peace Hotel: On the one hand, it greatly reduced the number of rooms for comfort, and on the other hand, it increased the necessary facilities for high-end hotels nowadays , Such as outdoor swimming pools, spas, fitness services, and the addition of red wine and cigar bars and Pease barbecue restaurants. The elderly jazz band has also been retained and has become a retro signature.
After the introduction of capital and careful renovation, the Peace Hotel became a five-star hotel. It is still the only hotel in China to be rated as a world-famous hotel.. Comparing the current prices of , the same twin room in Aiqun Hotel only costs more than 200 yuan, while in Peace Hotel it costs more than 2,000 yuan, which is ten times more expensive, and it is often hard to find a room.
In fact, the conditions of Aiqun Hotel are very good. There is only such a cultural relic-level hotel in Guangzhou. Things are rare and expensive. Secondly, it has unparalleled river views, convenient transportation, and many scenic spots nearby. The classic architectural style still dazzles visitors. On Xiaohongshu , it has set off a trend of checking in and taking photos, attracting more than 130,000 people to stop and take photos.
As people from Guangzhou, we hope that Aiqun Hotel can refer to the experience of Shanghai Peace Hotel (reply "Peace Hotel" in the background to learn about the history of Peace Hotel.), turns "old" into "nostalgic" , and more In order to attract young people to take pictures and check in outside, must also attract them to enter consumption and residence, so that this 80-year-old building can live up to its 80-year history!
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