Shanghai Blue 1920

Towards the end of 19th century, a new history began. Among the sailors who harboured in Batavia from Shanghai, is Nko Mo San. Not much was known of his background, but when he arrived he took on the profession of a construction worker. He had a son called Chan Mo Sang who then married a woman from Batavia called Siti Zaenab.

Chan-Mo Sang and Siti Zaenab started a small humble warong in Sunda Kelapa. This warong was known as Shanghai Tea House. Later on, this place developed into a popular place frequented by sailors from different origins who harboured in Sunda Kelapa, who spent lively evenings in Batavia dancing with the local women in this Shanghai Tea House.

Pirates, opium dealers, and others also often visited the warong. The services of the warong were also extended, soon became a tailor, a shoe repair, a barber, and still a bustling but romantic meeting and dancing place in evenings. Years and years after, when the Shanghai Tea House was finally closed, the beneficiary of this place saved all the building elements and its contents in a warehouse in ‘Kota’ (old town) in Jakarta. Fate brought them to the Tugu Group, where the original warong was reconstructed in Hotel Tugu Malang, and the original antique pieces were brought back to Jakarta to its original city. Hence, Shanghai Blue 1920 is now alive once again, to celebrate the wilder side of Batavia of the early days.