Bring in the Year of Rabbit with a hand-made toy rabbit

For guests who are staying with us during the holidays this year, we have prepared a small gift in the form of a hand-made stuffed rabbit.  Next year (2011) is the Chinese zodiac year of the Rabbit, so we thought our guests might like to take home a little token to mark their visit.

We found these cute rabbits from a cute shop called Ru-Wa, which is located in the JingAn Villa neighborhood.  The owners Season and Halei are interested in preserving and reviving the traditional Chinese toy crafts, and opened this workshop/store where they also offer classes on making traditional Chinese kites, lanterns, and other toys.  They work with old masters who are still knowledgeable about the traditional construction methods.  The old masters cannot be rushed so the items they produced are limited in quantity ;-)

Quintet got a sixth room!

The unfortunate thing that happened over summer was that our partner cafe Closed Door was forced to close down.  Since the cafe opened two years ago, our neighbors have not been happy about the noise caused by the cafe's popularity.  In China, your neighbors wield a lot of power over you and after continual efforts to stay open, they finally decided to pack up in July.  We were sad to see them leave, as our guests really enjoy the food and ambiance afforded by the cafe.

In place of the cafe, we converted the downstairs space into a 6th guest room and a cozy dining room.  The new room is called the Oriental Pearl, which was the nickname the West coined Shanghai back in the 1920's during its heyday.  The room features a glass sitting room, which was once a part of the cafe's veranda.  It's the perfect place for the room guest to enjoy an idyllic afternoon reading or sipping tea.  The room also has a large square bathtub that is lined with mother of pearl mosaic -- the soft glow from the interior of the tub  is ultra romantic when a candle is lit.

We kept most of the breakfast menu in tact, having retained the sou chef from Closed Door.  We added a light option with fruits, muesli, and yak yogurt from Qinghai for people who are concerned about gaining weight after feeding on our other gourmet breakfast choices.

With the sixth room, Quintet is now Quintet+ ;-)

Mr. Chong’s Shanghai Walking Tour

Recently I met with Alex from Yana Adventures to discuss the possibilities offering Quintet guests some interesting day-tours that would give them a better sense of the city's sights, sounds and smells.  Since we are already located in the French Concession, where people can roam about relatively easily on their own, she recommended a walking tour around the north Suzhou Creek area, a lesser-explored but interesting neighborhood.

The tour guide is the long-time Shanghai resident Mr. Chong, a retired cabby who has lived in the city for most of his life.  Mr. Chong will show you around his own neighborhood, where you'll stroll through bustling markets and laundry-strung Shanghai alleys, as well as discover historical landmarks and hidden gems.  Being a veteran dancer himself, Mr. Chong will also take you to an old-school neighborhood dance hall; you can watch couples waltzing and fox-trotting between one another or even show off a few moves of your own ;-) To get a feel for what local life is like in Shanghai, visit Mr Chong's home and hear the family's stories from the past and present.  He's aided by a translator to round out the tour.

Starting in September, Mr. Chong's tour will be offered every Thursday morning (9:30am - 12:30pm) and Saturday morning (9:30am - 12:30pm) and afternoon (1pm - 4pm).  The tour is 250RMB per person and requires a minimum of 4 people.

If you're interested in joining the tour, please email us at info@quintet-shanghai.com and tell us all the dates/times you can consider.  If your group has less than 4 people, Quintet will try to match you up with other guests who are also interested in the same dates/times.

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