Former Site of the Continental Bank

Former Site of the Continental Bank

The former site of the Continental Bank is a protected cultural heritage site of Tianjin.

The former site of the Continental Bank is located at No. 68 Harbin Road, Heping District, and is a protected cultural heritage site of Tianjin.

The Continental Bank was founded in Tianjin in 1919 by Tan Danya, then Vice Minister of Finance of the Beiyang Government, with the building constructed in 1921. In 1922, it joined forces with the Salt Industry Bank, Jincheng Bank, and Zhongnan Bank to form the Joint Banking Operations Office of the Four Banks, later establishing the “Four Banks Reserve Fund” and the “Four Banks Savings Association,” becoming one of the members of the “Northern Four Banks.” In October 1923, its Qingdao branch was established on Tianjin Road. It was upgraded to a full branch in 1931. After 1949, the bank went through a process of “joint operation and management” under the Northern Five Banks (the Northern Four Banks and the United Bank, which was restructured from the joint operations of the Northern Four Banks), as well as the national public-private partnership in the financial sector, before finally closing in 1952.

The building faces Heilongjiang Road to the east, Harbin Road to the south, Dagu Road to the west, and Binjiang Road to the north. Designed by the Kwan, Chu and Yang Architecture Company, it covers an area of 2,021.39 square meters with a construction area of 4,895.99 square meters. It is a three-story brick-concrete structure completed in the spring of 1921. Featuring square doors and windows, the building has a castle-like architectural style. The main entrance is situated at the corner of Harbin Road and Heilongjiang Road. The building retains much of its original appearance and is currently in good condition.

Today, you can still see traces of its past at the former site of the Continental Bank.

Further reading:

· Fourth Batch of Protected Cultural Heritage Sites of Tianjin