All things old China - books, anecdotes, stories, podcasts, factoids & ramblings from the author Paul French

Shanghai’s Best Barber Shops (1930s)

Posted: November 6th, 2011 | 3 Comments »

Now many of you will know that a classic red and white barber shop pole can mean any number of things in modern day Shanghai. You may get a haircut but then you may get something else entirely!! Gentlemen in need of a trim and a crop in the 1930s had two excellent barber shops to choose from downtown, either at the Cathay Hotel (now the not brilliantly restored Peace Hotel) or the Metropole round the corner (still there of course as the Metropole Hotel on Jiangxi Road). Pushing yourself as both hygienic and offering ‘moderate charges’ appeals to me.


3 Comments on “Shanghai’s Best Barber Shops (1930s)”

  1. 1 Simon Aliband said at 1:27 pm on November 6th, 2011:

    Paul :

    Until the mid-1990s the barber’s at the Peace Hotel still used the original chairs, produced in St. Louis, USA. The chairs were then apparently moved to the Peace’s staff barber’s shop. I wonder where the chairs are now.

  2. 2 Paul French said at 4:42 pm on November 9th, 2011:

    Sadly I don’t think the barber shop survived the recent rather gauche refit. Barber shops in general are a tough call now and all too often its a fancy ‘unisex’ (uuuggghhh, ugly word) salon or a fleapit. Nothing beats a proper barbers and I note in many countries – UK, USA etc proper barbers offering sensible haircuts and shaves are making a come back. Perhaps the new managers of the Peace can find room for a chair or two?

  3. 3 Barber Shop Englewood said at 1:37 pm on November 10th, 2011:

    It is sad to hear that there are only few or none at all, proper barber shops in your place anymore. Mostly we have these unisex salons. But it is awkward and uncomfortable for a man to sit in a salon usually filled with women.


Leave a Reply