The Ambassy Club was the first

private club A club is an association of people united by a common interest or goal. A service club, for example, exists for voluntary or charitable activities. There are clubs devoted to hobbies and sports, social activities clubs, political and religious c ...

established in

Shanghai Shanghai (; , , Standard Chinese, Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four Direct-administered municipalities of China, direct-administered municipalities of the China, People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the ...

since the founding of the

People's Republic of China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, most populous country, with a Population of China, population exceeding 1.4 billion, slig ...

. It is located on Central

Huaihai Road Huaihai Road or Huaihai Lu (; Shanghainese: ''Wahae Lu'') is a road in Shanghai, China. The central section of Huaihai Road is one of the two major shopping streets in central Shanghai; the other is Nanjing Road. Compared with the more touristy N ...

across from the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

Consulate, the Consulate of

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...

, and near the

Shanghai Library The Shanghai Library, which also houses the Shanghai Institute of Scientific and Technological Information, is the municipal library of Shanghai, China. It is the largest library in China. At 24 stories and 348 feet (106 m) tall, it is the second ...

. Although it has many local members, the Ambassy Club has a large number of American and European members. The managers are required to know English. The club has several restaurants, each offering a different type of cuisine. There are two upscale restaurants. One offers Japanese cuisine prepared and served in traditional methods. The other offers gourmet Chinese cuisine. There is also a café-type restaurant, which serves American and European style food, as well as snacks, desserts, pastries, and coffee. The club also has a unique “piano” bar, which has an exclusive, jazz-club feel. There is live music nightly, plus a selection of some of the finest liquors and cigars available in China. The club has both an indoor and an outdoor pool. The outdoor pool has a unique waterslide, and a deck for sunbathing. A rock-climbing wall, basketball court, and children's’ playground are also located on the grounds. Located within The Ambassy Club is Ambassy Court, a condominium complex of three medium height buildings, and underground parking. Owners of condominiums also have membership at the club, and access to the club's “guest house,” where out of town guests can stay in hotel-like accommodations (complete with housekeeping) on the grounds of the club. The name Ambassy Club comes from an alternate spelling of Embassy, and refers to the proximity of the club to the U.S. and Iranian Consulates. The Chinese name for the club is ''Hong Yi''. A new Ambassy Club, with similar offerings, opened in

Beijing } Beijing ( ; ; ), Chinese postal romanization, alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the Capital city, capital of the China, People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's Li ...

in the fall of 2006. The club's board members include the following: * Vincent Lo, the Hong Kong business man who developed

Xintiandi Xintiandi (, Shanghainese: ''Shinthidi'' lit. "New Heaven and Earth",Warr, Anne: ''Shanghai Architecture'', The Watermark Press, 2007, fig. "New World") is an affluent car-free shopping, eating and entertainment district of Shanghai. Xintiand ...

. * Maurice Fung, a former

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over t ...

restaurant owner, who moved to China to become the general manager of Ambassy Club, Shanghai City Center, and a major property developer in Shanghai, Beijing, and various other upcoming cities throughout China. * Peter Neumann, shareholder in the Shanghai office of

Greenberg Traurig Greenberg Traurig is a multinational law firm founded in Miami in 1967. As of 2022, the Greenberg Traurig is the 9th largest law firm in the United States. The firm has 43 offices in the United States, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East and ...

LLP. *

Stanley Ho Stanley Ho Hung-sun (; 25 November 192126 May 2020) was a Hong Kong- Macau billionaire businessman. His original patrilineal surname was Bosman, which was later sinicized to 何 (Ho). He was the founder and chairman of SJM Holdings, which ow ...

, the 84th richest man in the world in 2006, according to

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, and owner of eight

Macau Macau or Macao (; ; ; ), officially the Macao Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (MSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China in the western Pearl River Delta by the South China Sea. With a pop ...

casinos. *

Nora Sun Nora Sun (August 6, 1937 – January 29, 2011) was a Chinese-American diplomat, businesswoman, and daughter of Sun Fo and Rosa Lam/Lan Yi, and granddaughter of Republic of China founder Sun Yat-sen. She was the founder of the Hong Kong-based Nor ...

, granddaughter of

Sun Yat-sen Sun Yat-sen (; also known by several other names; 12 November 1866 – 12 March 1925)Singtao daily. Saturday edition. 23 October 2010. section A18. Sun Yat-sen Xinhai revolution 100th anniversary edition . was a Chinese politician who serve ...

, and noted Shanghai socialite.Stars shining in Shanghai_life_English_SINA.com
/ref> * J. Norwell Coquillard, President of

Cargill Cargill, Incorporated, is a privately held American global food corporation based in Minnetonka, Minnesota, and incorporated in Wilmington, Delaware. Founded in 1865, it is the largest privately held corporation in the United States in te ...

Investment (China) Ltd. Prior to her death in April 2007,

Nina Wang Nina Wang, born Kung Yu Sum () 29 September 1937 – 3 April 2007) was Asia's richest woman, with an estimated net worth of US$4.2 billion at the time of her death. She was the widow of Hong Kong chemical magnate Teddy Wang, who was kidnapped ...

was also a member of the Board. She was the "Chairlady" of

Chinachem Group Chinachem Group () is a corporate group established in Hong Kong by Teddy Wang's father Wang Din Sin (王廷歆). The early years of the group were dedicated to exploration of and investment in agricultural projects and chemicals. In the 196 ...

, and the richest woman in

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an are ...

, with an estimated net worth of almost $4 billion.

References

{{coord, 31.2089, 121.4455, display=t Organizations with year of establishment missing Buildings and structures in Shanghai Culture in Shanghai Organizations based in Shanghai Clubs and societies in China