7 hotels that changed China

by Steve Bellman

Hotels, in the Western sense, are a relatively new addition to China -- the oldest still standing only date back about 150 years.

But in that time, they have formed the backdrop to many turbulent moments in China’s modern history.

Here are the hotels where you can still stay, and the history they’ve witnessed.

Imagine tangoing with China's last emperor in this very ballroom.

The Astor in Tianjin dates from 1863 and hosted Ulysses S. Grant, the 18th U.S. president, during a two-year world tour following his second term, and Herbert Hoover in 1899, who lived in Tianjin when he worked as an engineer for the oil company Bewick, Moreing & Co.

However, the eight-story, 152-room establishment also witnessed some of the final grand days of China’s last emperor, Pu Yi (爱新觉罗•溥仪).