5TH Sept 2010 (26)
HSBC vs BANK OF CHINA
My first full-time job after graduation from high school was in a British firm
situated in the building of the head office of The Hongkong & Shanghai
Banking Corporation in the capital of Hong Kong. This bank was
established in Hong Kong in 1865 and a branch was opened one month
later in Shanghai. The main business at that time was to finance the
growing trade between China and Europe.
During my time in 1960s, the bank was commonly known as 'The
Hongkong Bank'. In an effort to get into the global market, the bank
began to re-brand itself and marketed it as 'HSBC'. The original
Hongkong Bank Building had a high dome artistic ceiling and a very
unique interior in a colonial style setting. It is now replaced by a master
piece of architecture designed by Norman Fosters and it boasted to be
the most expensive office block ever built in terms of cost per square
foot. During that time, all of the senior positions in the bank were held
by English expatriates from the United Kingdom or Portuguese people
from Macau. The Chinese who were least trusted only occupied junior
positions such as teller or clerks. Even the City Bank, which was then
operated under the name of First National City Bank (FNCB) employed
many Portuguese as their senior staff.
The English and Cantonese speaking Asian Muslims were nearly all
employed by the Hong Kong Government and public utilities companies,
taking up managerial positions, either because their standard of English is
better than the ordinary Chinese. Therefore most of my relatives were
working for the several utilities companies . It was a small community.
In the 1970s, I was living in London. Whenever I used my HSBC Visa
credit card, the sales assistants had to check with their managers as the
bank was not commonly known in the United Kingdom. Its name escalated
after HSBC had acquired the Midlands Bank and expanded itself as a high
street bank in the UK.
Up to 1980s, the Bank of China sitting next to the Hongkong Bank Building
remained a mysterious place in our eyes. The tall windows in the original
Bank of China Building next to the Hongkong Bank Building were often
covered with thick curtains and not many people had been inside the
bank.Communism was a taboo to us as we were brought up that
Communism was very frightening.
The existing Bank of China building has converted to commercial
building. A new building designed by I.M.Pei has become the new
building of Bank of China. It is built next to the old building of Bank of
China. Because of its unique design at the top of the building which
resembles a dagger, people of Hong Kong believe that it is bad omen,
because the dagger is facing the Hong Kong Governor's residence.
After the last British governor, Chris Pattern, had left Hong Kong on
Hong Kong's hand over to China, the first Chief Executive of the Hong
Kong Special Administrative Region used the ex Hong Kong Governor's
residence only for hosting banquets for important guests.
Yuen-yee
HSBC vs BANK OF CHINA
My first full-time job after graduation from high school was in a British firm
situated in the building of the head office of The Hongkong & Shanghai
Banking Corporation in the capital of Hong Kong. This bank was
established in Hong Kong in 1865 and a branch was opened one month
later in Shanghai. The main business at that time was to finance the
growing trade between China and Europe.
During my time in 1960s, the bank was commonly known as 'The
Hongkong Bank'. In an effort to get into the global market, the bank
began to re-brand itself and marketed it as 'HSBC'. The original
Hongkong Bank Building had a high dome artistic ceiling and a very
unique interior in a colonial style setting. It is now replaced by a master
piece of architecture designed by Norman Fosters and it boasted to be
the most expensive office block ever built in terms of cost per square
foot. During that time, all of the senior positions in the bank were held
by English expatriates from the United Kingdom or Portuguese people
from Macau. The Chinese who were least trusted only occupied junior
positions such as teller or clerks. Even the City Bank, which was then
operated under the name of First National City Bank (FNCB) employed
many Portuguese as their senior staff.
The English and Cantonese speaking Asian Muslims were nearly all
employed by the Hong Kong Government and public utilities companies,
taking up managerial positions, either because their standard of English is
better than the ordinary Chinese. Therefore most of my relatives were
working for the several utilities companies . It was a small community.
In the 1970s, I was living in London. Whenever I used my HSBC Visa
credit card, the sales assistants had to check with their managers as the
bank was not commonly known in the United Kingdom. Its name escalated
after HSBC had acquired the Midlands Bank and expanded itself as a high
street bank in the UK.
Up to 1980s, the Bank of China sitting next to the Hongkong Bank Building
remained a mysterious place in our eyes. The tall windows in the original
Bank of China Building next to the Hongkong Bank Building were often
covered with thick curtains and not many people had been inside the
bank.Communism was a taboo to us as we were brought up that
Communism was very frightening.
The existing Bank of China building has converted to commercial
building. A new building designed by I.M.Pei has become the new
building of Bank of China. It is built next to the old building of Bank of
China. Because of its unique design at the top of the building which
resembles a dagger, people of Hong Kong believe that it is bad omen,
because the dagger is facing the Hong Kong Governor's residence.
After the last British governor, Chris Pattern, had left Hong Kong on
Hong Kong's hand over to China, the first Chief Executive of the Hong
Kong Special Administrative Region used the ex Hong Kong Governor's
residence only for hosting banquets for important guests.
Yuen-yee
The 2nd rebuilt building of HSBC
The first building of HSBC
The 3rd and existing building of HSBC
The interior of the existing HSBC building
The old building of Bank of China
The interior of the new Bank of China
building
building
The new Bank of China building