Bank of China (Hong Kong) Central District Branch — Local services in Hong Kong

Built upon the earlier and original grounds of Hong Kong City Hall (1860s), the Old Bank of China (BOC) building was constructed in 1951. At 17 floors, it was the tallest building in Hong Kong for 12 years until the Mandarin Oriental (25 floors) took the crown in 1963.

This was the headquarters for BOC for nearly 40 years until the much celebrated new Bank of China building was opened in 1990. The bank then changed hands for a while before returning to BOC as a branch office in 2001.

These days, the old Bank of China is dwarfed by modern skyscrapers. However, it is still interesting to see when passing through Central. The exterior architecture is probably best described as NYC style Art Deco. In this regard, the Old BOC does look as if it could very well have been the bottom section of the Empire State Building. There are two beautiful guardian lion statues along Des Voeux Road building entrance that are worth...

The Bank of China Hong Kong Branch occupied this site for almost 40 years before moving into the Bank of China Tower at No. 1 Garden Road. When the new tower was opened in 1990, the ground floor of the building has been used as the Bank of China (Hong Kong) Central District Branch (中區支行).

The architectural style of the building is Art Deco believed to be influenced by similar buildings in Chicago and Shanghai. The façades feature set-backs (stepped recessions and projections in the walls) and are strongly emphasized vertically by mullions and columns rising up to unite the bands of windows at the various floor levels. The facing is granite and ornamentation is limited to the carved cappings to the columns, stylised frieze decorations and ornamental panels adjacent to and below windows. Stylised stone lions are placed on either side of the main entrance and also on the...

The Costumer Service has become a nightmare of DISORDER and DEFICIENCY. Since the opening of borders with China, mainland people have been storming banks in Central, trying to open HK Bank accounts. The BOC STAFF are unable to give an efficient, orderly service because they are incapable of telling mainland people to keep a civil behaviour. BOC staff seem AFRAID of reinforcing common sense and their own rules. (could be NSL). The agency has become a COUNTRY SIDE sort of Costumer Service: without respect to turns, numbers, etc. BOC staff seem to be there for serving and catering rude people, PERPETUATING DISORDER AND RESULTING IN A LOW LEVEL OF...