When Shanghai had More Places for Dutch People to Hang Out

I have no idea where Dutch people go in Shanghai to get together these days and frankly, who cares. Still, when the Dutchies wanted to celebrate the Netherlands Royal Wedding of 1937 between their very own Princess Juliana and Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld (somewhere in Germany apparently) they headed to Van’s Dutch Village Inn on Love Lane (Wujiang Road).

Of course, as noted in previous posts (see here and here), the eastern end of the old Love Lane is currently taking a severe battering with several buildings coming down and others, including the old St. Anna’s ballroom and Margaret Kennedy’s old bordello, being gutted completely. What will be left when the wreckers have finished is hard to tell – the western end of Wujiang Road with its horrific confection of chain stores, donut junk food parlours and fast food crap does not bode well.

Still, in January 1937 it was a party at No.15 as Van’s Dutch threw open their doors to all with plenty of booze and better food than you’ll find down on Love Lane today at Krispy Krap or whatever generic chain balls is there this week. Incidentally, the marriage lasted and the current Queen Beatrix was one of their kids. Princess, later Queen, Juliana died in 2004 and Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands died just months later.