Former British Consulate, Shanghai

One of the earliest buildings constructed on the Bund in Shanghai, the former British Consulate is a reminder of the heyday of the British Empire in China. The elaborate Renaissance Revival structure also served as part of the British judicial complex in the city.

The British Consulate building was constructed between 1871 and 1873, replacing an earlier consulate destroyed by fire. It housed the British consulate, which remained a center of British trade and influence in Shanghai until the Japanese occupation in 1941. It briefly resumed its former function after the Second World War, but the consulate was closed in 1967. The building had no Chinese features and the doors faced the European Settlement to symbolize the hostile attitude of the British to the Qing Dynasty and the locals.

The building fell into disrepair and remained neglected until the early 1980s, when the compound was used as a Friendship Store for foreign tourists. Later, it housed various government departments. In the 1990s, the building again suffered from neglect. As part of efforts to revitalize the Waitanyuan area, it was restored in the mid-2000s.

Today, the former British Consulate is managed by The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels Group through The Peninsula Shanghai. It now serves as a venue for conferences, functions, exhibitions, and events.