A renovation project in north China's port city Tianjin has revealed a long-forgotten building believed to be a club dating back to the Austro-Hungarian Empire in the early 20th century.

The elegant four-story red brick building was designed with spire roofs, and tall pillars adorned with sculptures.

The square windows of each floor were decorated with paintings and a brick terrace faced the gate.

Workers discovered the old architecture during a face-lift of the houses along the banks of Haihe River, which runs through the city. The building is near the Austro-Hungarian consulate, which was set up in 1902 when Tianjin was the only settlement of the empire in China.

Historians and architects confirmed the building was an Austro-Hungarian club after investigating the site and researching historical records.

According to experts, the club had been used as a hotel and residential apartments for decades but the garden and surroundings had gradually disappeared.

"China claimed the Austro-Hungarian settlement back to 1902 through 1917 during World War One, so it only governed for 15 years, which was the shortest in the city," said Xu Xinglin, a 79-year-old historian.

Experts said that together with the consulate, the building was probably the only overseas architecture left by the Austro-Hungarian Empire in the world.

(Xinhua News Agency August 22, 2003)