Historic Astor Hotel, 2017. [Photo by Bruce Connolly/chinadaily.com.cn]

Dating back to the mid-19th century, the Astor Hotel's story mirrors that of Tianjin. Its basement museum not only recounts an incredible history but also remembers an array of famous and infamous individuals who passed through its narrow swing entrance doors. Puyi, during his time in Tianjin, from 1925 to 1931, regularly came to dance. The hotel, with its wood lined corridors, rooms with four-poster beds and the first elevator in China, resembles a regal European country home or lodge.