Thank you for your kind hospitality and service! Your Hotel is excellent. We will surely come again in the future, said Lien Chan, KMT chairman.

 

IT was at 5:40 pm on April 26, 2005 that Lien's delegation arrived at the Jinling Hotel Nanjing, unveiling his epoch-making journey after 60 years.

 

Lien and his delegation received a warm welcome from Jinling staff upon entering the lobby. A well-tailored suit and light blue tie make the 69-year-old Lien look much younger. He waved to the people around and thanked them for the grand ceremony covered by the media. Mrs Lien, dressed in pink, impressed the audience with her kind smile.

 

Accompanied by the Ms. Li Jianwei, Chairman of Jinling Hotels and Resorts, Mr. Lien Chan came to the Jinling Suite, a nice home to the Lien's during their stay in Nanjing. Following them is KMT delegation with KMT vice chairmen Mr. Wu Boxiong, Lin Chengzhi, Jiang Bingkun, and KMT Secretary General Lin Fengzheng.

 

At 7:00 pm, Li Yuanchao, secretary of the Jiangsu Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), and Liang Baohua, Governor of Jiangsu Province, met with Mr. Lien in the Purple Mountain Ballroom Jinling Hotel and then hosted a welcome banquet. Mr. Li presented a special Golden Dragon made with Yun Brocade to Mr. Lien, who, in return, gave a San Yang Kai Tai Porcelain Vase and wished a more prosperous future to Jiangsu Province.

 

As scheduled, Lien and his delegation will fly to Beijing on April 28. At 8:00, they came down to the lobby. Ms. Li Jianwei, presented the Jinling Hotel Recipe 88 too Mr. Lien before his leaving. You could find many of the dishes you have tried these days and their recipe in this book; we look forward to your next visit, said Ms. Li. Hearing this, Mr. Lien thanked Ms. Li for her kind hospitality. Your Hotel is excellent. We will surely come again in the future, said Lien Chan. After that, Ms. Li also presented a special golden logo to Mrs. Lien, a Nanjing native, and invited her in Nanjing dialect to come back whenever possible.

 

When Jinling staff bid farewell to the KMT delegation, Mr. Lien, out of appreciation and deep emotions, bowed to them and thanked them again for their service.

 

During Lien's stay here, Jinling staff spared no efforts to make the reception a great success. Chairman Li has asked for all the departments to cooperate and set up detailed plans for different events.

 

Since opening in 1983, Jinling Hotel Nanjing has successfully received many top leaders and VIPs from home and abroad. Among them are CPC leaders Mr. Deng Xiaoing, Mr. Jiang Zemin, Mr. Wu Bangguo, Former French President Mitterrand, Former US President George Bush and German President Johannes Rau.

 

Lien's visit this time is significant in that it is the first time that a KMT leader has visited Mainland since 1945. Nanjing, once China's capital when it was under KMT rule, is the first stop on Lien's itinerary for the trip after a 60-year absence. He and his Kuomintang are calling the expedition “the journey of peace”.

 

We could rest assured only when receptions like Lien's visit are held in the Jinling Hotel Nanjing, said a staff from Jiangsu Taiwan Affairs Office. Prior to Lien's arrival, Jinling Management worked on the site to ensure the standards of service and set-up of the Purple Mountain Ballroom. From seating and lighting to flowers and furnishing, they looked into every detail. The tableware is polished; the carpet cleaned, the tablecloth tidied. After discussing with Sun Xuewu, Executive Chef of Jinling Hotel Nanjing, Chairman Li decided to feature the traditional Jinling cuisine on the welcome banquet. Impressed by the wonderful dishes such as b