Opulent Chair Sitting – Almost!

If there’s one thing I missed during this Christmas and New Year’s Yunnan Extravaganza, it was the chance to do some serious Opulent Chair (or Sofa)- Sitting.

How strange; Guangdong province is replete with ultra-opulent chairs AND sofas – you can’t walk past any hotel before they come hurtling out, throwing themselves at you with their gold-embroidered upholstery and luxurious depth. But in Yunnan? Nothing! Or so I thought, until I discovered the bizarre interestingly decorated Sofitel Luxury Hotel in Kunming.

OK. The chairs here don’t really fall into the real Opulence category, having no embroidery, gold or silver (real or painted) on them, but looking at the rest of the hotel’s extravagant decorations, I decided quickly to let Sofitel join the pantheon of opulent chair-owners, especially after seeing this tableau of abandoned chairs?

I only went in for a coffee and to have a look around, but the concierge and receptionist followed me around as if I were a spy or running dog for imperialism or something. There were no other guests and the whole place seemed deserted. Could it be a Potemkin village of opulence?

凳 – dang (chair)
梳化 – so fa (sofa)
酒店 － jau dim (wine shop/hotel)