Old Shanghai throws open welcoming arms
It did not take her too long to open her first B&B business two years ago, which she expanded last year by renting this old house from a Hong Kong owner.
"I like this old house, and it happens to stand on the same street, Yinshan Road, where my parents got married."
Pan then renovated the house and turned it into a popular Airbnb listing.
"But I wouldn't call it a pure business, because I think the spirit of B&B is sharing. I live in the house and interact with my guests, help them plan the trips, tell them my stories and listen to theirs."
Fu Zhiyi, who worked in an advertising company in Hong Kong, went traveling in Shanghai last year and stayed in Pan's house. Fu, a history buff, fell in love with the old house and became so obsessed with the historical aspects of Shanghai that he quit his job and went back to work for Pan to run this old guesthouse.
Fu assiduously studies the history of the old lanes and the history of Shanghai, and apart from working on promoting Pan's guesthouse - which now has a name, Mani Papa - sometimes accompanies guests on walks around the city, imparting his local knowledge.
"I like the stories in the city, and the old house itself is the carrier of a lot of the culture and lore," Fu says. "Each old lane and house is a story book, telling different local tales against the backdrop of all-the-same high-rises being built in the context of globalization."
In her guesthouse, Pan also organizes cocktail workshop, a passion she has cultivated since quitting her office job, telling people about each drink and teaching them how to make a personal signature cocktail.
She also holds cocktail parties on the 18th of every month - 18 is her house number - and a movie night every Wednesday.
The 4-year-old Border Collie she adopted this year is also a reason for many guest to come back again and again.
Pan says that when she quit her office job she thought being a bed and breakfast host could give her a lot of freedom to "go and see the world", but it has turned out that she can barely leave the city because of it. Her rooms are often booked up by travelers from home and broad, especially on weekends and during summer holidays.
"But perhaps that's not too bad. It's the world that's coming to see me."
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