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REGIONAL> Highlights
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A fund to be set up for Moller Villa
By Chen Qide (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-01-20 15:46
Shanghai Hengshan Group plans to set up a cultural foundation to collect funds to protect Moller Villa from decay, the group's Vice President Wang Lei said on Tuesday. "Preparations are under way and the plan will be sent to the government department concerned for approval,"said Wang, also general manager of Hengshan Moller Villa Hotel. Meng Zhengyu, the hotel's office director, said the group has spent 20 million yuan on the villa's refurbishment. But the villa, a unique northern European Norway-style castle at the downtown Shanghai, "needs more funds for maintenance,"said Meng. The villa, called "Dreamlike Castle,"was a private residence built by Eric Moller, a wealthy Briton. It was constructed in the 1930s to meet the wishes of his beloved daughter who said she wanted a life-sized doll's house. The garden villa has a grand northern European style with striking towers and turrets, lattice window frames and distinctive stone masonry. Moller came to Shanghai empty-handed in 1919 but he was fortunate to win large sums at the races and reinvested it by buying dozens of horses. Within a few years, he was a board member of the Jockey Club. There is a bronze statue of a racehorse on the lawn in the middle of the garden, under which one of Moller's horses was buried. Moller Villa has been identified as one of outstanding modern architectural buildings and key national heritage conservation units by European Society of Architects Design authority for its elegant and unique style, mysterious and rich history, Meng said. The villa hotel has 28 special fitment of authentic European-style luxury suites to provide personalized service, he said. China Daily Shanghai Bureau
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