Shanghai Mansion

For the first time in a long time, I headed down to Yaowarat Road, Bangkok's historic and vibrant Chinatown neighborhood. Travel is still impossible right now, but visiting the bustling Yaowarat is very nearly like traveling to another country.

For years I had wanted to take a night away at the famous and fantastically historic Shanghai Mansion Hotel, a luxury hotel with a storied history dating back to 1892, which it was originally constructed as a trade house for the wealthy Qing Dynasty merchant families who traveled to Siam from the south of China.

In 1908 the trade house was converted into Bangkok's first Chinese opera theater, which was often attended by the Chinese-Thai elite, the Bangkokian aristocracy, and even the Thai royal family.

Later, the building became one of Bangkok's first department stores, before finally falling into disrepair. It was abandoned in 1998. In 2005, the historic old building gained a new life as the five star Shanghai Mansion Hotel, and was refurbished to reflect the Oriental Art Deco style of 1930s Shanghai.

the Shanghai Mansion Hotel

Entering the hotel's lobby is like stepping onto a movie set, or being transported back in time to the roaring golden days of early Shanghai.

Visitors enter through the Red Rose Bar, where old-style Shanghai jazz is performed live every day; cross a wooden bridge over a sparkling koi pond; and pass the Chinese-style spirit house set upon the floor, which is crowded with fresh fruit and rice balls as offerings along with joss paper, small cups of tea and whisky, and smoldering incense.

     

 

The hotel was empty. Government regulations have kept the borders of Thailand closed for months due to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, and domestic travelers are few. I was able to find a fantastic deal at a hotel that would have been otherwise a bit out of this poor English teacher's price range.

Just outside of the hotel room's door was the Lucky Fish Pond, swimming with beautiful tiny fish which flitted between moss like tiny jewels. The hotel was designed to give visitors a feeling of zen and relaxation; a much-needed respite from the heat, noise, traffic, and chaos of the busy neighborhood just outside!

The room was richly-furnished in antique furniture with walls painted in Imperial Yellow. Adornments reflected the 1930s Shanghai aesthetic of the hotel.

The hotel even provided a fully-stocked minibar which was completely free! My favorite part was the porcelain Chinese tea set, which was used to brew Thailand's famous Chinese-Thai-style Three Horses Tea

But one can't just stay in the hotel all day, comfortable though it may be! When in Chinatown, you just have to set foot and explore! Chinatown is best seen whilst completely lost. Every twisting alleyway takes you past another tiny neighborhood shrine or temple, tea shop, Chinese pharmacy, or century-old gold shop. The neighborhood is purely a cacophony of senses.

The best thing to do along Yaowarat Road is to eat, and there are literally hundreds of things to taste as you wander through the packed and chaotic neighborhood. 

a local food vendor

We decided to shop around and buy lots of different Chinese-Thai snacks to try from a number of the local stalls lining the street. At one shop, you were given a bowl, which you could fill up yourself, choosing from all sorts of delicious snacks. We tried some fried potato dumplings, some kind of fried green veggie dumplings, and delicious tofu in a sweet and sour sauce.

That was to go, to take back to the hotel to enjoy later. It was, however, lunchtime, which meant that it was time to seek out the perfect bowl of Chinese-style noodles.

A traditional roast chestnut stall had set up shop in front of the hotel, and it smelled so good that we just couldn't help but buy a big box of them to take back to the room.

After lunch, it was back to the hotel, to cool down and refresh ourselves after the hot and sweaty afternoon exploring Yaowarat. And, of course, it was time to spend the afternoon enjoying that big box of roasted chestnuts.

Even though we can't travel, that doesn't mean that we can't still have adventures. The borders may be closed, and inter-province travel still may be difficult, but there are tons of amazing things to see and do right here in Bangkok. As the city slowly starts to open back up after the first wave of the pandemic, I am tentatively beginning to venture out of my neighborhood (which I haven't left in months) and into the wider Bangkok area. 

In fact, now that my walking adventures have begun again, I may very well have more adventures to share with you soon!

Until then: stay safe, stay healthy, and remember that this too shall pass.