The Peace Hotel, once the most luxurious hotel in all of Asia, is collecting old artifacts from its storage rooms and former employees to set up a museum to celebrate its 100th anniversary.

The museum is expected to open in March.

"We will set up the museum on the second floor of the north-wing," said hotel spokesman Ma Yongzhang. "It should be finished by February."

Xu Meifeng, a former employee, has donated a hair brush, an ash tray and two silver spoons that belonged to the hotel in 1929. The 80-year-old woman worked in the hotel's coat-check room from 1929 to 1945, before moving to Wuxi in Jiangsu Province.

When she heard about the hotel's anniversary, she decided to return the three antiques. Ma said that her mother also worked at the hotel, then called Cathy Hotel, as an interpreter.

Other hotel antiques will soon arrive.

"One of our former employees is sending us his employee card from the 1960s," said Ma.

Ma has also kept some hotel letterhead from the 1970s. Famous quotes from late Chairman Mao Zedong are printed on top of each page.

Antique furniture, old candle holders and other pieces have been pulled out of the hotel storage room for the museum. The oldest pieces are two redwood chairs that sat in the hotel restaurant in the 1930s.

A red copper thermos from the 1930s will also be part of the museum collections. The thermos belonged to the hotel bar.

Meanwhile the hotel is also arranging public events to mark the anniversary. A documentary will be filmed on the hotel's history and its role in modern Shanghai.

The hotel opened as Cathy Hotel in 1906. At the time it was the most luxurious hotel in Asia. It was renamed the Peace Hotel in 1949.

(Shanghai Daily January 4, 2006)