Adjacent to the Custom House, the Hongkong & Shanghai Bank Building was constructed in 1923. The bank was first established in Hong Kong in 1864 and in Shanghai in 1865 to finance trade, and soon became one of the richest in Shanghai, arranging the indemnity paid after the Boxer Rebellion. The magnificent mosaic ceiling inside the entrance was plastered over until its restoration in 1997 and is therefore well preserved.
It depicts 12 zodiac signs, eight cities with HSBC branches and 16 Greek characters. Photography is not allowed inside.
