In this recent photo, a 100-year-old house is
seen among skyscrapers in Shanghai's Lujiazui area. The house will
be turned into a finance museum.
A 100-year-old house nestled among Shanghai Lujiazui's soaring
skyscrapers will be turned into a finance museum, Pudong government
said on Tuesday.
The house, to the north of Jinmao Tower, was one of the few old
buildings left untouched when the government bulldozed the area to
build the Lujiazui Financial Zone.
It was built in the early 20th century for Chen Guichun, a
self-made business tycoon and Pudong native.
Five years ago, the city government invested more than 10
million yuan (US$1.3 million) to turn the building into an
exhibition hall on Lujiazui's history, officials said.
The building has been empty for about a year since the
exhibition hall was merged with the new Pudong Expo hall near the
Shanghai Science and Technology Museum.
"We want to put new exhibits into the house and to turn it into
the city's most comprehensive finance museum," Zhu Longzhu, head of
the Pudong New Area Cultural Relics Commission, said.
The government has invited a design company to draw a blueprint
of the museum, whose exhibits are expected to cover banks, stocks
and futures trading.
Officials said they hope the museum can open in a year.
One key characteristic of the house is its carving patterns that
reflect both Chinese and the West.
(Shanghai Daily May 24, 2007)
