Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Central Asia yurt night stars
Uzbekistan • 15 days, 14 nights
Central Asia Road Trip: Backroads & Bazaars
from
A view of Brașov’s Old Town.
Romania • 12 days, 11 nights
Legends of Romania: Castles, Ruins & Culinary Delights
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
The Eye of God at Newchurch in Pendle
St. Govor’s Well.
St. Govor’s Well
Shivsrushti
Pierced domes of Hammam Seffarine.
Hammam Seffarine
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
Cacio e pepe lasagna combines two classics.
C'è pasta... E pasta!
Spaghetto taratatà is named for the sound of rattling sabers.
Giano Restaurant
The gnocchi here get blanketed in a sugo with braised oxtail.
Cesare al Pellegrino
Romans insist you should feel the cracked peppercorns and cheese grains on your tongue.
Flavio al Velavevodetto
Tripe is fried to a crisp.
L’Osteria della Trippa
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Grasshopper Chapel and grounds.
How the Rocky Mountain Locust Plague Spawned Federal Disaster Relief
about 7 hours ago
The Guy Bradley Visitor Center at Flamingo in Everglades National Park.
America’s First Game Warden Died Fighting for the Birds
about 8 hours ago
Echo Park Time Travel Mart.
Atlas Obscura Presents: Traveling Back in Time for Coconut Cake With The Sporkful
1 day ago
One of the PATH’s many entrances.
A Supposedly Boring Mall I Might Actually Visit Again
2 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All China Shanghai Peace Hotel Jazz Bar
Gastro Obscura

Peace Hotel Jazz Bar

This bar is home to what's likely the oldest living jazz band in the world.

Shanghai, China

Added By
Luke Fater
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
  zgaijdrl/used with permission
  zgaijdrl/used with permission
  isabmaro/used with permission
  zgaijdrl/used with permission
  isabmaro/used with permission
  zgaijdrl/used with permission
  kitt_chakrit/used with permission
  zgaijdrl/used with permission
  isabmaro/used with permission
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

The Peace Hotel is, alone, worth a visit. The historic art-deco behemoth is a centerpiece of Shanghai's picturesque riverside Bund area. The hotel bar's house band is just the cherry on top: The primarily octogenarian "Old Jazz Band" is likely the oldest living and longest-performing musical group alive today.

The bar and its band are an encapsulation of a pivotal era in Shanghainese history. The arrival of jazz in the 1920s brought about an embracing of Western culture throughout the city known as the "Paris of the Orient": Men began wearing suits, ties, and mechanical watches, and gelling their hair, while women assumed tight-fitting cheongsams with high heels. The band's repertoire of mostly nostalgic tunes from the '20s and '30s is an homage to a bygone era that birthed what's known as "Shanghai style," a singular blend of East meets West, old meets new.

Several musicians can likely attest firsthand to the period's pathos; the "younger" of the bunch can recall practicing their forbidden instruments in secret during the Cultural Revolution of the '60s. At any rate, the "Old Jazz Band" that began playing here in 1980 is the same one that plays today. The average age of the house musicians is currently 82, a number offset by the rotating, often younger "sultry female vocalist" (according to the hotel website) who joins the band at 9:00 p.m. each night.

That the bar itself was originally an English-style pub is evidenced in its darker features, from the bar stools to the wooden tabletops, suited to an ambience of weighty refinement persistent throughout the hotel. Photos of famous politicians visiting the legendary bar line the walls, including Jimmy Carter and Barack Obama. Bill Clinton (did you know he played saxophone?) once famously joined the band for a stand-in solo.

While the bar is open to the public, care is taken to evoke a sense of exclusivity. Returning guests' preferred food and drink order, as well as their table and cigar selection, are memorized by staff. A menu of snacks accompanies a cocktail list inspired by those of the '20s. Grab a martini and french fries and enjoy this living slice of Shanghai history. The band goes on each night at 6:30 p.m. If the charm brings you to tears, it's dark enough that no one will notice.

Related Tags

Music Jazz Venues Bars Hotels China United States Cocktails Snacks Performances

Know Before You Go

A RMB300 (about $43) cover charge is credited toward drinks.

Community Contributors

Added By

lukefater

Published

November 14, 2019

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/05/arts/05iht-shangstyle.1.12568193.html
  • https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/jul/08/after-the-cultural-revolution-what-western-classical-music-means-in-china
Peace Hotel Jazz Bar
20 Nanjing E Rd, Waitan
Huangpu Qu
Shanghai, 200002
China
31.239181, 121.489985
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Bund Sightseeing Tunnel

Shanghai, China

miles away

Oriental Pearl Tower

Shanghai, China

miles away

1930 Folk Street

Shanghai, China

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Shanghai

Shanghai

China

Places 31
Stories 3

Nearby Places

Bund Sightseeing Tunnel

Shanghai, China

miles away

Oriental Pearl Tower

Shanghai, China

miles away

1930 Folk Street

Shanghai, China

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Shanghai

Shanghai

China

Places 31
Stories 3

Related Stories and Lists

12 Bars and Restaurants With Music on the Menu

List

By Anne Ewbank

Related Places

  • A heart behind the bar at C-Boy’s Heart & Soul.

    Austin, Texas

    C-Boy's Heart & Soul

    This Austin music venue is an homage to a legendary figure in the local blues scene.

  • The exterior of a large, elaborate theatre at dusk

    São Paulo, Brazil

    Theatro Municipal de São Paulo

    Ella Fitzgerald, opera singer Enrico Caruso, and dancer Isadora Duncan all performed in this lavish, supposedly haunted theater.

  • The front signage of Third Man Records.

    Nashville, Tennessee

    Third Man Records

    Jack White's record store is the only place in the world that records live shows direct-to-acetate.

  • Henry Turner Jr. rejects the notion that the blues should be frozen in time.

    Baton Rouge, Louisiana

    Henry Turner Jr’s Listening Room

    There's no booze at this juke joint—just some of the best blues in Baton Rouge.

  • These days, performers rock the space where the pulpit once stood.

    Amsterdam, Netherlands

    Paradiso

    Rejoice at Amsterdam's ‘pop temple,’ a former church reborn as a raucous music venue.

  • A plaque marking the area where Charlie’s Place, a bustling nightclub that attracted both Blacks and whites during the mid-20th century, once stood.

    Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

    Site of Charlie’s Place

    Once a safe haven for Black patrons and performers—including Billie Holiday and Duke Ellington—during the Jim Crow era, portions of this nightclub and motel have been restored to welcome a new kind of visitor.

  • View of the trophy room from the communal couch area near the entrance.

    Washington, D.C.

    Silver Lyan

    Sip creative cocktails in the former vault of the Riggs Bank.

  • Pelham, Tennessee

    The Caverns

    An ancient cave system in Tennessee’s Appalachian foothills converted to a 1,200-person music venue.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.