By Sheila Donnelly
| The Temple House has prepared a series of seasonal celebrations and festive decorations with a sustainability theme in alignment with Swire Group’s SD2030 vision. This year, The Temple House presents “Dreaming of a Green Christmas,” with creative and whimsical elements using mostly recycled materials as festive decorations.As part of this year’s initiatives of “anti-plastic” and “go green,” the Christmas tree, located in the courtyard of The Temple House, is composed of 2,500 up-cycled plastic bottles collected from the guest rooms by housekeeping. The metal structure of the Christmas tree was reused from last year, and will be used for many years to come. In special collaboration with Swarovski, which also has a well-established sustainability agenda, the up-cycled Swarovski crystals that embellish The Temple House’s sustainability Christmas tree once again “shine like diamonds.” In partnership with many like-minded businesses and parties, “Dreaming of a Green Christmas” was presented to the public on November 24, 2018 and represents The Temple House as it “goes greener.” Boutique Christmas Bazaar A boutique Christmas bazaar was hosted in the afternoon of the Christmas tree lighting ceremony, with all proceeds supporting local non-profit projects. The Christmas bazaar offered traditional and nostalgic seasonal treats and beverages. Mrs. Gertraud Macher, mother of Mr. Kurt Macher, The Temple House’s General Manager, had traveled from Austria to celebrate these festivities. As an experienced pastry chef, Mama Macher baked authentic Austrian Christmas cookies with the local media, and celebrated a traditional “Austrian-style Christmas” in advance. Chengdu Adoption Day, a local non-profit animal shelter, was also a part of the bazaar. “Why buy when you can adopt?” Stray dogs and cats were available for adoption. Up-Cycled Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony As an annual tradition since 2016, the tree-lighting ceremony was held in the evening on the last Saturday in November. Prestigious guests, including government officials from the Austrian Consul Commercial Affaires, media friends, and the general public were invited to celebrate the Christmas tree lighting ceremony. Artificial snow scenes were created in order to enhance the winter wonderland experience. A dreamy Advent atmosphere started off with authentic Austrian Gluehwein and Christmas cookies, followed by the performances of the students of Leman International School Chengdu, the children of Soong Ching Ling Kindergarten, and Woo Zeal A Cappella Choir. The centerpiece of the evening, the up-cycled Christmas tree, featured 2,500 plastic bottles filled with ascending colored liquid, ranging from white to light green to dark green, which resonated with “The Temple House | Go Green” SD initiatives. The Christmas tree was embellished with up-cycled Swarovski crystals.Going forward, The Temple House will continue to celebrate festive seasons with “sustainability” and “community” in mind.High-res images can be downloaded here. |
| About The Temple House The Temple House is located in the heart of the city within the Sino-Ocean Taikoo Li Chengdu. The 100-room hotel and its 42 adjoining serviced apartments form an integral part of the city government’s conservation project to preserve the surrounding heritage buildings next to the thousand-year-old Daci Temple. The three-dimensional woven façade combines modern design with the traditional Chengdu architectural elements of timber, brick and step stones. Elegant bamboo trees frame the hotel’s entrance, which is set in a beautifully restored hundred-year-old Chinese courtyard building first built in the Qing Dynasty. The Temple House also offers a dynamic collection of outlets including The Temple Café – the all-day dining restaurant and French Bistro, TIVANO – an authentic Italian restaurant, Jing Bar featuring live DJs, and MI XUN Spa and Teahouse. About The House Collective The House Collective, including The Opposite House, The Upper House, The Temple House and The Middle House, is a group of small, individual hotels in Asia for seasoned travelers who seek a different, intimate and personalized experience in luxury travel. Each with its own distinctive character and sense of style, The House Collective is a group of refined, highly individual hotels that defy comparison.For more information, please visit www.the-house-collective.com and www.thetemplehousehotel.com About Swire Hotels and Swire Restaurants Swire Hotels was created to manage soulfully individual hotels in China and the USA, providing a characterful experience for well-traveled, individually-minded travelers who seek originality, style and personalized service. We operate distinctive hotels with a sense of place that break with convention.The company’s first hotel, The Opposite House in Beijing, opened in 2008 and was followed by The Upper House in Hong Kong, and then by EAST, Hong Kong; EAST, Beijing; The Temple House in Chengdu; and EAST, Miami. The Middle House in Shanghai, the latest addition, opened in April 2018.A restaurant division was set up in 2013 to manage the company’s stand-alone restaurant operations in Hong Kong. Our first restaurant Plat du Jour opened in November 2013, followed by PUBLIC and Ground PUBLIC in Quarry Bay. The Continental in Pacific Place opened in October 2014 and Mr & Mrs Fox opened in 2015, followed by the second Plat du Jour in Pacific Place in 2016. The latest addition, REPUBLIC, opened in Taikoo Place in December 2017. |
