Former Site of the Russian-Chinese Bank's Lushun Branch

Former Site of the Russian-Chinese Bank's Lushun Branch

The former site of the Russian-Chinese Bank's Lushun Branch is a municipal-level cultural heritage protection unit in Dalian.

The former site of the Russian-Chinese Bank's Lushun Branch is located at No. 33 Wanle Street, Lushunkou District. On June 28, 2013, it was included in the fifth batch of municipal-level cultural heritage protection units in Dalian.

The former site of the Russian-Chinese Bank's Lushun Branch is located at No. 33 Wanle Street, Lushunkou District, Dalian. Built in 1902, it covers a construction area of 1,564 square meters and is a building in the modern Russian architectural style. It is now part of the fifth batch of municipal-level cultural heritage protection units in Dalian.

The former site of the Russian-Chinese Bank's Lushun Branch is located at No. 33 Wanle Street, Lushunkou District, Dalian. Built in 1902, it has a construction area of 1,564 square meters. This is a building in the modern Russian architectural style. Its exterior is square and compact; the inner courtyard features an atrium, resembling a church; the structure is solid, and the style is elegant. Beneath the small building lies a spacious basement. One meter north of the building is a roughly 30-square-meter exposed basement ceiling, clearly visible on the surface. Hidden beneath the thick cement arches was once a secret.

During the period of Tsarist Russian rule, this small building served as the Lushun Branch of the Russian-Chinese Bank. The original site of the Russian-Chinese Bank was inside Gate 3 of the Lushun Naval Port in the old city district. In 1902, after the completion of this European-style two-story building in Sunwawa, the bank moved here. The old site in the city district later became the private residence of Mr. Gotan Toda, the factory manager of "Itsukushima Town Rice Mill" in Japan, and behind the residence, a beautiful 20-square-meter granite-built vault still remains to this day. The Russian-Chinese Bank was the only government-run bank during the Tsarist Russian rule over Lüshun and Dalian, subordinate to the Shanghai Branch of the Russian-Chinese Bank, mainly handling state treasury financial affairs. This European-style building was actually a bridgehead for Tsarist Russia’s economic exploitation of China. During the Battle of Lushun in the Russo-Japanese War, the building suffered minor damage. In 1915, the Japanese Kwantung Governor-General's Office set up a Commodities Exhibition Hall in the building, displaying books and various cultural relics. In 1929, it was converted into the Thousand-Year Club, with a screening room added, becoming a place of entertainment for the invading Japanese army. In August 1945, it served as the office of the Soviet Army. In April 1955, it was taken over by the People's Liberation Army of China.

Protected Area: The area within 10 meters outside the outer base of the main walls of the site building to the east, south, west, and north constitutes the protected area.

Construction Control Zone: The area within 20 meters surrounding the protected area is designated as a Category II Construction Control Zone.

Further Reading:

· Fifth Batch of Municipal-Level Cultural Heritage Protection Units in Dalian