Shanghai General Post Office Building
Address ： No. 250, North Suzhou Road, Hongkou District, Shanghai
Address ： No. 250, North Suzhou Road, Hongkou District, Shanghai
Opening Hours：
09:00-17:00 (last admission by 16:00) on Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday
Details：
The building broke ground in December 1922 and was completed in November 1924. The Shanghai General Post Office moved in from Beijing Road (present-day East Beijing Road) and opened for business on December 1, 1924. The building was close to downtown Shanghai, next to the Huangpu River in the east and the Railway Station in the north, and not far away from the Shiliupu Wharf in the south. Such a location made the water and land transportation of mails very convenient and the building an ideal postal hub. This building was designed by British architect firm Stewardson, Spence & Watson and constructed by Chinese contractor Yuhongji. Covering 6,500 m2 of land and with a gross floor area of 25,300 m2, this reinforced concrete building has one floor underground and four floors on ground. It is a representative work of European Eclectic buildings. A U-shaped floor plan with a round southeastern corner is at the center of the composition. Both sides are main facades with simplified Corinthian columns that run through three floors. At the top of the corner is a bell tower with an Italian-style Baroque dome popular in the 17th Century. On each side of the bell tower is a trio of figure sculptures. One features three human figures holding models of the locomotive, iron anchor and telecommunication cable respectively, as symbols of active railway, maritime transportation and post & telecommunication sectors. The other trio features the Roman god of commerce Mercury, a messenger of the gods, in the middle, implying post and telecommunication. On both sides of Mercury’s sculpture are gods of love, suggesting that post and telecommunication are in the hands of the two gods who help people communicate their affections. The business hall on the second floor, with a floor area of 1,200 m2, is a spacious, bright and resplendent space once known as the “No. 1 hall in the Far East.” The General Post Office Building is the largest, earliest post office building still in use in China. It has not only witnessed the history of Chinese postal services, but created favorable material conditions for the development of China’s modern postal service. The building now houses the Shanghai Postal Museum. The General Post Office Building was named an Outstanding Modern Building in Shanghai and a Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the Municipal Level on September 25, 1989. It was designated a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level on November 20, 1996.
*The above information is subject to the official release by the venue, and this platform is for reference only.
Opening Hours
09:00-17:00 (last admission by 16:00) on Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday
Details
The building broke ground in December 1922 and was completed in November 1924. The Shanghai General Post Office moved in from Beijing Road (present-day East Beijing Road) and opened for business on December 1, 1924. The building was close to downtown Shanghai, next to the Huangpu River in the east and the Railway Station in the north, and not far away from the Shiliupu Wharf in the south. Such a location made the water and land transportation of mails very convenient and the building an ideal postal hub. This building was designed by British architect firm Stewardson, Spence & Watson and constructed by Chinese contractor Yuhongji. Covering 6,500 m2 of land and with a gross floor area of 25,300 m2, this reinforced concrete building has one floor underground and four floors on ground. It is a representative work of European Eclectic buildings. A U-shaped floor plan with a round southeastern corner is at the center of the composition. Both sides are main facades with simplified Corinthian columns that run through three floors. At the top of the corner is a bell tower with an Italian-style Baroque dome popular in the 17th Century. On each side of the bell tower is a trio of figure sculptures. One features three human figures holding models of the locomotive, iron anchor and telecommunication cable respectively, as symbols of active railway, maritime transportation and post & telecommunication sectors. The other trio features the Roman god of commerce Mercury, a messenger of the gods, in the middle, implying post and telecommunication. On both sides of Mercury’s sculpture are gods of love, suggesting that post and telecommunication are in the hands of the two gods who help people communicate their affections. The business hall on the second floor, with a floor area of 1,200 m2, is a spacious, bright and resplendent space once known as the “No. 1 hall in the Far East.” The General Post Office Building is the largest, earliest post office building still in use in China. It has not only witnessed the history of Chinese postal services, but created favorable material conditions for the development of China’s modern postal service. The building now houses the Shanghai Postal Museum. The General Post Office Building was named an Outstanding Modern Building in Shanghai and a Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the Municipal Level on September 25, 1989. It was designated a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level on November 20, 1996.
*The above information is subject to the official release by the venue, and this platform is for reference only.
