The Mysterious Xijiao Guest House

Before the reform and opening up, many guest houses in Shanghai were not open to the public, especially the Xijiao Guest House at No. 1921 Hongqiao Road, which is a state guest house in Shanghai with a large green area and beautiful scenery. For more than half a century, it has been carrying the important task of receiving the highest national leaders and top world dignitaries. Everything here is extraordinary, and everything is full of mystery. Therefore, it is known as the 'Diaoyutai of Shanghai' or the 'Imperial Garden of Shanghai'. Before the liberation, it was originally the villa of Mr. Yao Xizhou, a famous builder, and his eldest son Yao Naichi; after the liberation, as the owner went abroad, the house was requisitioned by the state to build a guest house. Later, Building 4 of the Xijiao Guest House (originally Yao Naichi's residence) became an important part of the Xijiao Guest House complex and was listed as one of the first batch of outstanding historical buildings in Shanghai. The Xijiao Guest House was established in 1960, covering an area of about 1200 mu, with winding rivers and ancient trees planted throughout, and its unique pavilions, towers, and bridges blend naturally with the flowing water. The guest house has various types of presidential suites, suites, executive rooms, deluxe rooms, and villas with different styles, as well as a grand and well-equipped conference center, making it a place for high-end meetings, conferences, and large business banquets. After the Xijiao Guest House was used as a state guest house, it was not open to the public for a long time and was only known by a mysterious numerical code—414. This was because during the 1960s, when Shanghai was heavily engaged in war preparedness construction, many guest houses were digging air-raid shelters, and the Xijiao Guest House, which was then the second guest house of the municipal committee, did the same. Not only were tunnels dug, but a war command post was also prepared for the leaders at the time, with all kinds of facilities, codenamed 414. Not far from 414, there was also the former 415 guest house, now known as the Hongqiao Guest House. Now for tourists, the Xijiao Guest House can be divided into the inner garden and the outer garden. The inner garden is a large area on the southwest side of the guest house, named 'Garden Tour', which can only be entered by guests with a room card. The outer garden is around the main road from the southeast gate to the northwest gate of the guest house, and visitors can tour as soon as they enter the guest house. Stepping into the garden, you can see the winding stone paths, undulating lawns and camphor forests, crisscrossing rivers, lakes as wide as mirrors, and exquisitely elegant bridges and pavilions... The sound of birds and cicadas in your ears, and little squirrels jumping around in the branches. It's hard to imagine that there is such a 'Peach Blossom Land' in the bustling area of Shanghai. Today, the now-open Building 7, 'Mutual Residence', was once the specific accommodation for heads of state and dignitaries from many countries in the world. On the first floor, there is a coffee and rest area, and on the second floor, the Peony Hall is a buffet place.