On April 21, AmCham China, Tianjin and the German Chamber in Tianjin hosted an Iconic Sites Tour at the Astor Hotel. Almost 40 members of the local business and student communities gathered to experience the storied history of one of Tianjin’s oldest hotels. The tour started with a walkthrough of the Astor’s museum, which holds a number of artifacts and relics, such as a World War II-era katana and a nineteenth century Bible.
The Astor’s Managing Director, Ugur Talayhan, was on hand to provide context to the museums content and to answer guests’ questions. In addition, AmCham Executive Committee Chairman Martin Winchell and Executive Committee member Michael Hart used their considerable knowledge of the hotel’s history to enrich the experience by providing background information for the content on display.
Following the museum tour, Astor staff treated attendees to a look inside the hotel suites of Herbert Hoover and Sun-Yat-Sen. Guests were allowed to full access to the suites, and marveled as they explored the very same rooms lived in by such grand historic figures.
As the tour winded down, attendees gathered at the Astor’s O’hara bar for networking and snacks. The Astor’s lounge singer, Miss Only, contributed to the bar’s jazzy and relaxed environment. Guests had such a good time networking and chatting, that many stayed at the O’hara well past the events official conclusion.
The success of this event will certainly inspire similar ones in the future, and AmCham China, Tianjin looks forward to providing its member with more diverse and enjoyable activities. To check out upcoming events or to subscribe to our mailing list, head to the AmCham China website.
Antonio Douglas is an intern at AmCham China – Tianjin.
