An Indian man opens the door for a patron arriving by taxi to the hotel located on National Avenue in Nanning, in southwest China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, on Wednesday, February 7, 2007. [Photo: cnsphoto]

A hotel in Nanning recently employed an Indian man to greet its patrons by opening their car door before its main entrance.

The sight calls back to mind a trend popular in 1930s Shanghai, in which restaurants and hotels would employ Indian bellboys.

China News Service reports today, many restaurants still employ Indian people as part of upgrading their services, as is the case for the hotel in southwest China.