A Limited Edition Public Tour based on the book by Paul French and led by historian Peter Hibbard
Once in a while we get to produce something really special – and this is one of those times! We’re excited to be teaming up once more with bestselling author Paul French (Midnight in Peking) for an exclusive, one-off tour based on his new book, Bloody Saturday. And since we don’t do things by halves, we’ve asked legendary ‘Old Shanghai Hand’ Peter Hibbard – eminent historian and author of classic books on the Bund and Cathay Hotel – to lead the walk.
In August 1937, a number of bombs rained down on Shanghai, causing utter devastation to its buildings and residents. But instead of being dropped by the Japanese, the explosives came from Chinese planes. This is your chance to learn about this shocking, oft-forgotten episode in Shanghai’s history from a world class guide, and to rediscover the Shanghai of the 1930s.
This tour will only take place once, on Sunday September 17th at 10am, so don’t miss out!
You can purchase tickets HERE.
So What Happened on that Fateful Day?
“Saturday, August 14, 1937 – that summer Shanghai was expecting to be hit by a typhoon of ‘violent intensity’. The typhoon passed, but what did strike Shanghai was a man-made typhoon of bombs and shrapnel that brought aerial death and destruction such as no city had ever seen before. The clock outside the Cathay Hotel stopped at precisely 4.27pm as the first bombs landed on the junction of the Nanking Road and the Bund; the second wave of explosions struck the dense crowds outside the Great World amusement centre in the French Concession…
Join Team Bespoke and historian Peter Hibbard as we walk through the parts of Shanghai most affected by the bombs that day, and learn how they affected everyone in Shanghai: from the tycoons and tourists to the refugees and foreign correspondents.
Tickets are available now, and with just 22 available, you’ll have to be quick not to miss out! Click HERE to purchase tickets and confirm your place. Got questions? Drop us an email here.