Former Site of the Vaults of the Four Major Banks in Guangdong Province

Former Site of the Vaults of the Four Major Banks in Guangdong Province

The former site of the vaults of the four major banks in Guangdong Province is a cultural relic protection unit of Guangdong Province.

The former site of the vaults of the four major banks in Guangdong Province is located in Renju Town, Pingyuan County, at the junction of Fujian, Guangdong, and Jiangxi provinces. Since the Southern Qi Dynasty, people have gradually migrated here to settle, and the area was historically known as "Haoju." In the 41st year of the Jiajing reign of the Ming Dynasty (1562 AD), when Pingyuan County was established, Renju served as the county seat (county town). For over four hundred years, the history of this ancient town has been filled with legendary tales.

The vault is an extremely rare three-story building from the Republican era, featuring a frame structure with a basement. Despite years of weathering, the building does not appear dilapidated and still stands quietly by the meandering Dongmen River, silently narrating its past glory through its sturdy and exquisite structure. Compared to the low-rise houses around it, the foundation of the vault is several times higher—just the height of the basement alone surpasses two floors of those homes.

The overall structure of the building remains largely unchanged, and the spatial dimensions of the rooms preserve the layout of that time. Some of the stairs, floors, and handrails inside the building remain original and are still in usable condition. Visiting in late summer amid scorching heat, the reporters were immediately refreshed upon entering the vault site, greeted by a cool breeze. A smiling site manager remarked, “The most remarkable feature of the vault is that it stays warm in winter and cool in summer.” Even more astonishingly, despite its riverside location and damp surroundings, the interior of the building remains dry and cool—even with doors and windows wide open, common insects and mosquitoes from the countryside can't get in.

The entire building has only one main entrance, but due to its large size, over 30 windows were carved into the walls for ventilation and cooling. There are no balconies on the first or second floors, but the third floor features a covered balcony extending outward, allowing guards to keep watch from above. Additionally, multiple gun ports hidden between floors are nearly invisible from the outside; just a few guards could easily defend the vault’s sole entrance by firing from within. It is understood that the first floor mainly housed offices for finance and security personnel, while the vaults storing gold, cash, and silver dollars were located in the second-floor storage rooms and the basement.

In 2010, it was designated as part of the Sixth Batch of Cultural Relic Protection Units of Guangdong Province by the People’s Government of Guangdong Province.

Wen Tianxiang, the top scholar of the Southern Song Dynasty, styled himself Songrui and was also known as Wenshan. He was born in 1236 into a landlord family in Futian Village, Chunhua Township, Luling (now southern Ji’an, Jiangxi). His father loved reading and placed great importance on his children's education, hiring renowned teachers for them. Regardless of the season, Wen Tianxiang would study, write, and discuss history and philosophy with his younger brother in a study adorned with maxims and aphorisms.

At the age of 18, Wen Tianxiang ranked first in the Luling township examination. At 20, he entered Bailuzhou Academy in Jizhou (now Ji’an, Jiangxi) and was selected as a tribute scholar of Jizhou in the same year, later going with his father to Lin’an (now Hangzhou) to take the imperial examinations. … Wen Tianxiang – More Information ++

Renju Village: Located in the central area of Renju Town, Pingyuan County, Meizhou City, Renju Village is the seat of the Renju Town government. It administers 21 villager groups, with 559 registered households and a population of 2,183. The village covers a total area of 4.62 square kilometers, with cultivated land spanning 1,550 mu. The village enjoys a subtropical monsoon climate, characterized by mild temperatures, abundant rainfall, ample sunshine, low wind levels, and short frost periods, with an average annual temperature of 19.5°C and about 1,693 mm of rainfall. Major cash crops include sweet corn, xiancao (Mesona chinensis), and flue-cured tobacco. The village’s unique economic income amounts to 3.08 million yuan, with the previous year… Renju Village – More Information ++

Further Reading:

· Sixth Batch of Cultural Relic Protection Units of Guangdong Province