The Imposing Bank of China Building Along the Bund
Not surprisingly, a lot of the buildings along the Bund in Shanghai have a lot of history behind them. Although most of them weren’t even standing for more than 100 years, they already have their own stories to tell. Take the Bank of China Building for instance. It is the large building beside the Peace Hotel. The Bank of China Building looks stiff and very Chinese in its looks. It reminds me of the Bank of China Building in Singapore which also features uninspiring architectural design.
View of the Bank of China Building From Another Angle
The Bank of China was originally planned to be the tallest building in the the Far East at the time. However, with the Bund area under the control of the British, the owner of the Peace Hotel next door, demanded that no building shall be taller than his. By declaring the Chinese to “have no expertise” in building such a tall building, the height of the building was then cut in half and built to its current height – only a full foot shorter than its neighbor. Interestingly, the building’s construction was overseen by the father of the famous architect, IM Pei, the architect who designed the iconic Bank of China Tower in Hong Kong.
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