Former Site of the Four Banks Savings Association

Former Site of the Four Banks Savings Association

The Former Site of the Four Banks Savings Association is a protected cultural heritage site of Tianjin.

Original Building of the Four Banks Savings Association

Era: 1923

Address: No. 147, Jiefang North Road, Heping District, Tianjin

Category: Important Modern Historical Sites and Representative Buildings

The original building of the Four Banks Savings Association, built in 1923, was the Tianjin branch of the savings association formed by the Salt Industry Bank, Jincheng Bank, Zhongnan Bank, and the Continental Bank. Its first manager was Zhang Zexiang. In 1940, Chen Yihou, manager of the Salt Industry Bank, and Hu Zhongwen, manager of the Four Banks Savings Association, hid 16 golden bells pledged by the last emperor Puyi in a small storage room in the basement of the Four Banks Savings Association, thus protecting these precious cultural relics from being looted by the Japanese.

The building faces Taierzhuang Road to the east, borders Dalian Road to the south, runs along Jiefang North Road to the west, and is adjacent to Datong Road to the north. With a floor area of 1,590.6 square meters, it is a three-story brick-concrete structure. The upper floors feature four columns supporting the arches, and both the walls and the roof are adorned with reliefs, making it an example of Classical Revival architecture.

Further Reading:

· Fourth Batch of Protected Cultural Heritage Sites of Tianjin