Former Site of the Dalian Branch of the Oriental Development Company

Former Site of the Dalian Branch of the Oriental Development Company

The former site of the Dalian Branch of the Oriental Development Company is a cultural heritage protection unit of Liaoning Province.

The former site of the Dalian Branch of the Oriental Development Company is located at No. 6 Zhongshan Square in Zhongshan District. On June 28, 2013, it was included in the fifth batch of municipal-level cultural heritage protection units in Dalian.

This building is located at No. 6 Zhongshan Square, with Luxun Road on one side and Renmin Road on the other. Built in 1936, it is a European-style structure designed in Western classical style. It was the last building constructed at Zhongshan Square before the founding of the People’s Republic of China and currently houses a branch of Bank of Communications in Dalian. The Oriental Development Company was established in late 1908 in Seoul, with Lieutenant General Uzukawa Kazumasa appointed as its first president. The year before, the Korean king had been deposed for secretly sending envoys to the Hague Peace Conference to protest Japanese aggression. Although Japan announced the annexation of Korea two years later, the establishment of the Oriental Development Company signaled an acceleration of Japan's occupation of the Korean Peninsula. Initially, the institution’s main tasks were organizing immigration to the Korean Peninsula and acquiring land. As Japan expanded across the Asia-Pacific region, the Oriental Development Company gradually broadened its operations to include land, wool textiles, alcohol, electricity, coal, timber, metals, and more in various newly occupied areas, until its closure on September 30, 1945. At that time, the building served as an open-plan office space where many European and American companies set up offices. From 1951 to 1957, it housed the office building of the Dalian Municipal Committee of the Chinese Communist Party. At the time, Dalian City and Lushun City were equal administrative units under the prefecture-level Lüda City.

Protected Area: The protected area includes the main building’s exterior foundation walls, extending 2 meters eastward, south to Luxun Road, west to Zhongshan Square, and north to Renmin Road.

Construction Control Zone: A 30-meter perimeter surrounding the protected area is designated as a Class V construction control zone.

Further Reading:

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