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Journal of Chinese
Architecture and Urbanism Bank of China’s modern buildings

Figure 5. History of the Bank of China. Source: Drawing by Jun Wang

of overseas foreign exchange funds, serving the country’s
import and export trade and playing a significant role in
the international finance arena.
Following the outbreak of the Anti-Japanese War in 1937,
the Bank of China proactively established international
channels, promoted foreign trade, and sought overseas
remittances to support the domestic anti-fascist war of
resistance through its overseas institutions. Between 1939
and 1945, the Bank of China collected a total of 230 million
US dollars in overseas remittances, significantly contributing
to balancing foreign exchange receipts and payments.
After the year of 1949, the People’s Republic of China
(PRC) Government assumed control of the Bank of China,
eventually designating it as a specific foreign exchange and
foreign trade bank under the People’s Bank of China. Since
then, the socialist economic reform policy has canceled
most inland banks, while Bank of China Hong Kong
branches play a vital role in connecting mainland China Figure 6. Changes in China’s financial center in the 19 –20 centuries.
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and overseas businesses. It was not until 1979 that the Bank Source: Drawing by Jun Wang
of China regrouped.
In brief, the intricate association between the Bank of China historical context surrounding the establishment and
and the Chinese government has witnessed various dimensions utilization of these significant structures.
of China’s financial, fiscal, political, and social matters
throughout the first half of the 20 century (Figure 5). Over On a macro scale, the expansion of financial enterprises
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the past five decades, the Bank of China has not only witnessed drove the establishment of branch offices – a trend notably
China’s transformation into a modern nation-state but has also evident within the Bank of China. The 1918 Statute of the
adeptly adapted to the multifaceted and ever-changing global Bank of China explicitly stipulates the need to establish
landscape. In addition, it has relied on its worldwide branches branch offices in provincial capital cities and key commercial
to ensure the efficient mobilization of social capital, especially centers, alongside the central office in the capital (Editing
during financial crises, and has perpetually played a pivotal Committee of the History of Bank of China, 1995). The
role in connecting the financial sector to stabilize the nation’s strategic placement and layout of Bank of China’s office
financial order during challenging times. buildings in the modern era are closely intertwined with the
shifting dynamics of China’s financial epicenter during the
4. Siting and development of the Bank of first half of the 20 century. Overall, this regional shift traced
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China buildings a path following “Guangzhou–Shanghai–Beijing–Tianjin–
Shanghai–Chongqing–Shanghai” (Wu, 1994) (Figure 6).
The historical evolution of the Bank of China’s buildings
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is intrinsically linked to its overarching objectives and By the end of the 19 century, after 50 years of
operational requirements. This section delves into the economic development since the opening of the port in

Volume 6 Issue 2 (2024) 7 https://doi.org/10.36922/jcau.2166