Posted by katie Legendary Tung makes the Jinjiang a legend RICHARD Nixon, Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher were just a few of the clientele of the Jinjiang Hotel, formerly the Cathay Mansions. But shadowed by these famous names was a less widely known woman who had contributed more than anyone, to make the Jinjiang Hotel a legend. Her name was Tung Chu Kwan (1900-98), one of a small handful of brilliant women entrepreneurs who broke into the male hierarchy in old Shanghai. Born into a humble family in Shanghai, Tung was sold, at an early age, into an upscale brothel. Fortunately she met a Kuomintang revolutionary named Xia Zhishi when she first arrived and was still a virgin. Xia was willing to buy her freedom and marry her. But a strong-headed Tung would not be sold and refused to become a concubine since Xia had a wife at his hometown. It was not until Xia's wife died of illness that Tung followed him to Japan in exile. At that time Tung was 14 and Xia was 26. In Japan, Xia's comrades looked down upon Tung, thinking she was just a former prostitute. But Tung rose above all of this. She displayed her ability and talent and proved she was more than just a brothel singer or housewife. In less than four years, she finished her university courses in addition to working as a housewife and bearing and bringing up children. Tung later followed her husband to his hometown in Southwest China's Sichuan Province. Xia was gradually reduced to a gambler, drug-addict and male chauvinist. Finally in 1929 Tung had enough and took her four children and fled the feudal family for Shanghai, her hometown. Tung became the first woman in Shanghai to open a factory. But her textile factory was destroyed by the Japanese bombing. In 1935, Tung pulled herself together and opened the Jinjiang Sichuanese Restaurant. She took on the role of head chef. One year later she opened Jinjiang Tea House. After the liberation in 1949, Shanghai needed a hotel to accommodate senior leaders. Tung was chosen as the person to run it. So began her legacy. In 1950, authorized by the municipal government, Tung moved her Jinjiang restaurant and tea house into the Cathay Mansions and the Grosvenor Mansions. And then the Cathay Mansions became the north building of the Jinjiang Hotel. In 1990, Tung was appointed as senior consultant of the Jinjiang Hotel. She died in 1998 in Beijing. Most of her children and grandchildren have ended up overseas. (By Joshua Shi)
on May 31, 2005, 5:14 am
Maggie will play this legendary woman written about below. Miu Kiu Wai will play Xia I think.
Shanghai Star. 2000-10-10
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