Hotel Book 2003
On Mao's Trail
The impression you get in the Chairman's Suite is that Mao has only just left
the building. Black-and-white photos of his family hang on the
wall; his favourite books fill the shelves and an Art Deco lamp
from his house in Zhongnanhai adorns one corner. It is almost
a disappointment when the doors open and the man, who was once
China's most powerful leader does not walk back into the room.
But despite his absence, the Red Capital Club still exudes the
complete communist flair of the 1950s. The house in Beijing's
Dongsi quarter is in the style of the private residences which
were sought after by leading politicians after 1949 as their pieds-a-terre
of choice, and the five suites are furnished in impressive detail.
The concubines' rooms are to the right and left of the Chairman's
Suite; they seem to consist almost entirely of beds and are furnished
with antiques from the Qing Dynasty. Two other suites are dedicated
to the Chinese writer Han Suyin and Edgar Snow respectively. The
former political elite of the country also makes an appearance
in the restaurant whose hongnanhai cuisine” includes Mao's favourite
dishes. Even when embarking on excursions into the city, you follow
in Mao's tracks. Or to put it more accurately, in his tracks – because
the stretch-limousine that once used to chauffeur Madame Mao and
which is the only existing car of this type left is today available
for the exclusive use of hotel guests. All seven metres of it
including red flags; champagne and Russian caviar.
Book to pack: The Private Life of Chairman Mao: The Memoirs
of Mao's Personal Physician” by Li Zhi-Sui
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