161 years ago today, on August 6, 1864 (July 5, 1864 in the lunar calendar), the United Kingdom founded HSBC in Hong Kong. On August 6, 1864, the United Kingdom founded HSBC in Hong Kong, also translated as "Bank of Hong Kong and Shanghai", or simply "Hong Kong Bank". It was initially co-organized by the top ten foreign banks in Britain, the United States, France and Germany, including British merchants Swire, Sassoon, Jardine, American merchants Qichang, and German merchants Chanchen. Later, it was monopolized by British merchants and became a representative of British economic rights in China. It was one of the major banks established by the UK in the Far East to control the financial market of old China. The head office is located in Hong Kong, and after opening, it set up a branch in Shanghai. Since then, branches have been established in Hankou, Xiamen, Fuzhou, Tianjin, Beijing, Guangzhou, Qingdao, Harbin, Dalian, Shenyang, Shantou, as well as in Japan and Southeast Asia. The bank's highest decision-making body is the London Committee. The bank's main activities in China are: 1. Operating foreign exchange and manipulating foreign exchange market prices. 2. Absorb deposits from China and issue bank notes and silver notes for circulation in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Guangzhou and other places. 3. Control the fiscal and economic lifeline of the China government through loans. By 1911, he had borrowed more than 230 million taels from the Qing government, and obtained the right to collect customs and salt taxes. In addition, he also accepted loans from China railways. By 1936, the bank's assets in China had reached US$150 million, accounting for 44% of the bank's total assets. Until the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, it still maintained its primary position in China's financial market. After the liberation of China, all branches in China were closed except for the Shanghai branch, which was designated by the China government to handle foreign exchange business. HSBC Bank in 1917 was adjacent to Customs; HSBC Bank was adjacent to the Customs in 1917; HSBC Building in Shanghai in 1939, which was the First Building in the Far East at that time; the currency issued by HSBC that year. HSBC is a financial leader in the Far East and Shanghai. Its Shanghai branch building is far better than its Hong Kong headquarters building and is known as "the most elegant building from the Suez Canal to the Bering Strait in the Far East." During the same period, the customs building on the left side of HSBC was also built three times. Jianghai Beiguan, built in 1857, is a China yamen style building (second from left in the picture) and is the only China building site on the early Bund; the one on the left is HSBC; in 1897, Jiang Customs built a Western-style church-style building (see second from left in the picture); the one on the left is HSBC; in 1927, the Customs Building was built for the third time. Its style is late classicism and its scale is no less than that of HSBC. The top of the building simulates Big Ben in London and is equipped with a "Qing Bell". It is a building that demonstrates China's sovereignty and is one of the landmark buildings on the Bund. The first and second left of the picture are HSBC and Customs Buildings.