Throughout its long rich history, Raffles Beijing Hotel has had the privilege to host some of the world's brightest luminaries from China and overseas.
Nine of the 171 rooms at Raffles Beijing Hotel have been named after personalities who were associated with the hotel in its early heyday.
The nine Personality Suites are the Dr Sun Yat Sen Suite, George Bernard Shaw Suite, Zhang Xue Liang Suite, Guo Moruo Suite, Bernard Law Montgomery Suite, Li Zong Ren Suite, Henri Cartier-Bresson Suite, Charles de Gaulle Suite and Feng Yu Xiang Suite.
In each of the suites, you will find specially sourced personality-related memorabilia, offering unique experiences to those who wish to walk down the memory lane with individuals who were once associated with the Raffles Beijing Hotel.
Dr Sun Yat Sen Suite
Dr Sun Yat Sen (孙中山) was a Chinese revolutionary leader and political leader who was considered by many to be the “Father of Modern China”. He was a uniting figure in post-imperial China and remains unique among 20th century Chinese politicians for being widely revered in both Mainland China and Taiwan.
A founder of the Kuomintang, Sun Yat Sen was the first provisional president of the Republic of China in 1912. He developed a political philosophy known as the Three Principles of the People, part of which was made into the present national anthem of the Republic of China. Sun Yat Sen’s notability and popularity extended beyond the Greater China region.
George Bernard Shaw Suite
George Bernard Shaw was an Irish playwright--a leading figure in 20th century theatre. He had a talent for drama, and authored more than sixty plays during his career.
He was also an ardent socialist. He produced many writings examining many issues such as education, marriage, and in particular, the exploitation of the working class.
He eventually became an accomplished orator for the Fabian Society and furthered many of its causes which included the gaining of equal political rights for women and men, and the alleviation of the abuses of the working class.
One of the most sought-after orators in England, he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1925.
General Zhang Xue Liang Suite
General Zhang Xue Liang (张学良) was an important figure in the creation of the modern Chinese state. He was one of the regional warlord generals who dominated Chinese politics in the 1920s and 30s.
Nicknamed the “Young Marshal”, he became the effective ruler of Manchuria and much of Northeast China after the assassination of his father in 1928.
Known for his role as an instigator in the 1936 Xian Incident, he would become the world’s longest-serving political prisoner--spending over 50 years under house arrest. He eventually migrated to Honolulu, Hawaii in 1993 after regaining his freedom and remained until his death in 2001.
Guo Moruo Suite
Guo Moruo (郭沫若) was poet, historian, archaeologist, government official, and one of the leading writers of 20th century China.
After receiving traditional Chinese education, he studied medicine at Kyushyu Imperial University in Fukuoka, Japan. He co-founded the Ch’ang-tsao she in Shanghai, a society which promoted modern and vernacular literature. He was also the first president of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and remained so from its founding in 1949 until his death in 1978.
A prolific writer, Guo Moruo penned poetry, plays, translations as well as historical and philosophical treatises. He was eventually awarded the Lenin Peace Prize in 1951.
Bernard Law Montgomery Suite
Bernard Law Montgomery was a British field marshal and one of the leading Allied commanders during World War II (WWII).
Often referred to as "Monty", he successfully commanded Allied forces at the Battle of El Alamein, a major turning point in the Western Desert Campaign. Troops under his command also played a major role in the expulsion of Axis forces from North Africa. In addition, he earned distinction during WWII for his highly effective leadership of the British Eighth Army in North Africa and worked closely with U.S. General Dwight Eisenhower in planning the D-Day invasion of France.
He resided at the original Beijing Hotel on a visit to China in 1960 and published an account of his travels in his book, “Three Continents” (1962).
Li Zong Ren Suite
Li Zong Ren (李宗仁) was the general of the Seventh Army in the Northern Expedition and participated in several set-piece battles in the Sino-Japanese War, including the Battles of Tai Er Zhuang.
Li was regarded as one of Chiang Kai Shek’s best generals and served as Vice-President in the National Assembly. He would later become acting president of the Republic of China after Chiang Kai Shek's resignation on 21 January 1949.
Henri Cartier-Bresson Suite
Henri Cartier-Bresson was a renowned French photographer and was considered to be the father of photojournalism. He was an early adopter of the 35mm film format and is a master of candid photography, with a hand in developing the "street photography" style that has influenced generations of photographers after him.
Assignments for major publications took him on global travels, including China. While in China, he captured the momentous last six months of Kuomintang dictatorship as well as the first six months of the Maoist regime with his camera lens.
Many of his works captured important moments in history and are valued as important documentation of the 20th century.
Cartier-Bresson held his first exhibition in France at the Pavillon de Marsan in the Louvre in 1955.
Charles de Gaulle Suite
Charles Andre Joseph de Gaulle, was a French general and statesman who led the Free French Forces during World War II. He later founded the French Fifth Republic and served as its first President.
De Gaulle was heralded as the founder of Sino-French diplomatic relations. He and Mao Ze Dong clinched a momentous agreement on 27 January 1964 to forge bilateral diplomatic ties between the Republic of China and the Republic of France.
General Feng Yu Xiang Suite
General Feng Yu Xiang (冯玉祥) was known for being a general and a warlord of the Christian faith during the early years of the Republic of China. He spent his youth immersed in military life and joined the army at age 16.
General Feng rose through the ranks, gathering under his command a highly disciplined army. He distinguished himself by governing with an admixture of paternalistic Christian socialism and military discipline.
Common In-room amenities:
- Broadband and wireless Internet access
- Fax and DVD machine available upon request
- Dataport for fax / modem
- In-room safe
- LCD television
- Concierge services