Hidden on Jiujiang Road — once known as China's Wall Street — sits one of the city's most underrated heritage gems: the Shanghai Investment Building, and yes, you can visit it for free.
Built in 1931 as the Continental Bank Building, this place still carries the elegance of old-school national-capital banking. Since 2016, it's also home to the Bund 111 Art Center.
If you're a fan of Netflix heist movies — or secretly think you'd crush it in Money Heist — you're gonna love this place.
What's inside?
The Meeting Room — Northern Chinese royal-palace style (a nod to the bank's Tianjin roots) within a Western façade. Today, it's used to receive high-net-worth clients.
The Vault — The star of the building. A rare mezzanine-level vault with 1,183 safes, each once requiring a 150-yuan deposit and two keys. And here's the fun part: 20+ safes remain unclaimed after 90 years.
Can't get an appointment?
Be patient — they're fully booked until the end of the year. But good news: the Bank of East Asia next door is open to the public with no reservations needed. It has its own vault too — smaller and less dramatic, but still a fun bonus stop if you're already in the area.
Address: 111 Jiujiang Road, Huangpu District
Metro: 500m from Nanjing East Road Station (Line 2 & 10)
Open: Tues & Thurs, 9:00–10:00
Book Tickets: Here
