Former Site of Shanxi Provincial Bank

Former Site of Shanxi Provincial Bank

The former site of the Shanxi Provincial Bank is located at No. 41, Gulou Street, Gulou Subdistrict Office, Xinghualing District. In 1912, the Shanxi Official Money Bureau was established here, and in 1919, the Shanxi Provincial Bank was founded as a joint-stock company under official supervision and commercial operation, with a capital of 3 million silver dollars, acting as the provincial treasury. Controlled entirely by Yan Xishan, its first manager was Yan Weifan. The head office was located in Taiyuan, with branches in Xinjiang and Taigu, and sub-offices in Tianjin, Shanghai, Beijing, Hankou, Shijiazhuang, Baoding, and Suiyuan. It issued currency and monopolized the right to print paper money. After the Battle of Central Shanxi in 1948, when Taiyuan was besieged by the People's Liberation Army, Yan Xishan attempted to flee and transferred funds, including over 9,800 taels of gold. On April 24, 1949, after the liberation of Taiyuan, the military control commission took over the bank.

The site faces south and covers a construction area of 268.40 square meters. The existing structure is a two-story brick-concrete building with a Western classical facade composed of three sections: base, wall, and top. The central part of the building features four Ionic columns, while the ends are built in a brick-and-stone style, with balconies on each corner. The site is one of the better-preserved European-style buildings from the Republican era in Taiyuan, exhibiting distinct characteristics of the period. It serves as an important physical resource for studying the development of modern finance and Republican-era architectural art.

Gulou Subdistrict: Gulou Subdistrict, Xinghualing District, Taiyuan City, Shanxi Province

Gulou Subdistrict is located at No. 65, Dongjihu Camp, in the city center, and is the site of the provincial government. It borders Liuxiang and Miaojian Subdistricts of Yingze District to the south, extends east to... (text truncated)

To the west, it neighbors Pozijie, Sanqiao Street, and Xinjian Road, connecting with Sanqiao Subdistrict, and to the north, it reaches Chengfang East-West Street, adjoining Julun. The subdistrict covers an area of 1.6 square kilometers, with 53 streets and lanes, a permanent population of 29,624, and 246 resident organizations. There are 10 community neighborhood committees in total, and the subdistrict... (detailed information on Gulou Subdistrict++)