The first draft bank of China, Rishengchang, is situated in the busiest section of Xi Da Jie, which used to be the First Street in the Qing Dynasty. The original site of Rishengchang occupied 2,324 square meters. The land used is arranged in a compact layout of buildings with definite functions. Although it was only a small compound, it was a forerunner of modern banking and once manipulated the economic lifelines of the whole Qing Dynasty in the 19th century |