天津开埠后,英、法两国在天津设立租界,并先后在租界内修路建房。他们特别选择,在东侧的河坝道(今张自忠路和台儿庄路)与西侧的海大道(今大沽路)之间,从西北端的老龙头桥开始,向东南至狄更生道(今徐州道),拓建一条主要交通干线,全长2229米,路面均宽17米;贯穿英、法两个租界,以圣鲁易路(今营口道)口为界,北段法租界,时称大法国路,又称法租界中街,1941年以前亦称七号路; 南段英租界,时称维多利亚道,又称英租界中街。英、法两国领事馆和工部局,都设在这条干线上。中街成为当时英、法租界的中心地带,是两国租界的政治、经济中心。

        

·旧时的解放北路金融街

        最早在中街建立机构的,是英国怡和洋行(1867);随后,英国汇丰银行,于光绪六年(1880)在中街建立分行,转年开业(新大楼为今解放路84号,今中国银行天津市分行址) ,成为天津的第一家外国银行; 英国太古洋行,于光绪七年(1881),在河坝道置地建造仓库和专用码头,在中街建起太古洋行大楼(今解放北路165号)。在中街设立分行的还有: 德国的德华银行,于光绪十五年(1889),后改为解放路副食商店址; 英国的麦加利银行,于光绪二十一年(1895),今天津市邮政储汇局等址; 俄国的华俄道胜银行,于光绪二十二年(1896,一说1897),今为证券所; 法国东方会理银行,于光绪二十四年(1898),初租今天津市总工会址,后在今解放北路77号原天津市艺术博物馆址建楼; 日本的横滨正金银行,于光绪二十五年(1899),今解放北路80号中国银行天津市分行址。
        19世纪末至20世纪初,在中街设立的外国银行共达20多家。除了汇丰、麦加利、德华、华俄道胜、东方会理、横滨正金银行以外; 还有:美国运通银行(清末)、比利时华比银行(1906年,今中国建设银行天津市分行址)、法国储蓄会(1912年)、日本正隆银行(1915年)、美国花旗银行(1916年,今中国农业银行址)、日本朝鲜银行(1918年)、日本天津银行(1920年)、美国美丰银行(1923年)、美国大通银行(1929年)、美国合通银行(1923年11月)、美国敦华银行(1935年6月);合资银行有: 法比合办仪品放款银行(1906年,今天津市化工轻工材料公司址)、中意合办华义银行(1920年5月6日,今天津市电子仪表局所属单位址)、中法合办中法工商银行(1923年,今天津市总工会址)等等。
        八国联军入侵,壬子兵变,使城厢地区钱业倒闭十之八九,当铺多被抢劫焚毁,票号渐趋没落; 特别是1931年 “九一八” 事变后,华商银行、保险业也转向租界发展,以求安全。比较有实力的华商银行,也想在中街开设;但是,英、法租界当局,却以其为侨民预留做借口,禁止华商在中街购地建楼,迫使华商银行只能在中街附近另觅行址。法租界四号路(今滨江道)、法租界六号路(今哈尔滨道)、法租界八号路(今赤峰道),成为首选之地; 20世纪30年代,杨福荫路(今大沽路与兴安路之间大体南北走向的斜短路),也全部由银号租用,成为“钱庄街” 。
        例如: 法租界四号路的交通银行、殖业银行(1911年) ; 法租界六号路的大陆银行(1919年,今哈尔滨道68～70号,交通银行址)、大生银行(1919年3月8日)、中国垦业银行(1926年,今哈尔滨道34号); 法租界八号路的中国银行、中孚银行(1916年11月7日)、上海商业储蓄银行(1920年10月,初在宫北大街狮子胡同,1922年迁东马路,1926年迁法租界八号路100号)、盐业银行(1928年8月,今中国工商银行天津市分行营运部址) 、裕津银行(1921年6月,今赤峰道32号); 还有法租界十四号路的中国农工银行(1927年,今承德道24号),英租界领事道(今大同道)的中国实业银行等。
        当然,英、法租界当局,完全禁止是不可能的,有的华商银行还是开办在了中街。例如: 金城银行(1917年5月,今天津市农村工作委员会址) ,中南银行(1922年7月5日,初址中街10号,1923年迁今解放北路88号中国建设银行和平支行址),中央银行天津分行(1931年,今解放北路179号中国人民银行天津市分行址),国华银行(1934年8月15日,法租界中街74号)等等。
        20世纪二三十年代,中街及附近地区,华商银行也发展成为天津金融界一支重要力量,尤其是著名的 “北四行”(盐业、金城、大陆3家总行及中南银行分行),在国内有重要影响。组成了包括国家银行、地方银行、官商合办银行、商办银行、外商银行,以及银号等齐全的天津银行业,被称为“银行街” ,并有“天津华尔街”之称;由于大楼林立,风格迥异,号称“万国建筑博览会” 。1932年末,天津的22家银行存款余额为25578.8万元,占全国122家银行存款总额的18%; 1933年末,天津22家银行存款余额为40451.5万元,占全国123家银行存款总额的15.4%。至1934年末,天津有华商银行29家,银号269家,典当88家,外国银行17家。其中,华商银行、银号资力36500万元,外商银行资力43612万元(均按法币计算)。
        与此同时,外商保险机构新增100余家,华商保险公司也发展到50余家。天津金融机构无论是数量、资力,还是经营规模、业务辐射范围,都仅次于上海,居全国各大城市第二位,成为名符其实的中国北方金融中心。
        After Tianjin opened its port,UK and France set upconcessions and built roads and houses in Tianjin. Theyconstructed a main traffic line across the Britain andFrench concessions from Laolongtou Bridge (JiefangBridge) to Dickens Road (Xuzhou Road)between HebaRoad in the east and Hai Street(Dagu Road) in the west.The length of the Road was 2229 meters and its widthwas 17 meters. Divided by Saint Louise Road (YingkouStreet),the north part belonged to the French concession,which was called Great French Road,Middle Street ofFrench Concession or No.7 Road (before 1941). Thesouth part belonged to Britain Concession,which wascalled Victoria Road or the Middle Street of BritainConcession. The Consulates and Industrial Bureaus ofthe two concessions were located on the line. MiddleStreet was located at the center of French and Britainconcessions,which were the political and economiccenters of them.
        The first business institution at Middle Streetwas Yihe Yanghang of UK in 1867. The HSBC of UKset up its branch in 1880 and commented business in1881 (the location of Tianjin Branch,Bank of China),which was the first foreign bank in Tianjin. BritainTaigu Yanghang was established in 1881,whichbuilt warehouses and ports along the river and TaiguBuilding at Middle Street (now the site of No. 165 ofJiefangbei Road). There were also Deutsche AsiatischeBank of Germany in 1859 (now the site of the FoodDepartment at Jiefang Road),Chartered Bank of IndiaAustralia & China of UK in 1895 (now the site ofTianjin General Post Office),The St. Petersburg Russo-Asiatic Bank of Russia in 1896 (now the site of TianjinBranch of the People`s Bank of China),BanquedeL`India-China of France in 1898 (firstly the site ofTianjin Labour Union,then Tianjin Museum of Arts atNo.77 Tianjinbei Road),and Yokohama Specie Bank,Ltd of Japan in 1899 (Tianjin Branch of Bank of Chinaat No.85 of Jiefangbei Road).

        

·法租界中街(银钱街北段)

        In the end of 19th and at the beginning of 20thcentury,there were 20 more banks set up at Middle Streetbesides the above. They were American Express Co,Inc.during Qing Dynasty,Banque Belge Pour L` Etrangerof Belgium in 1906 (now the site of Tianjin Branch ofChina Construction Bank),French Deposit Bankin 1912,Japanese Cheng Loong Bank in 1915,InternationalBanking Cooperation of America in 1916 (Now thesite of Agriculture Bank),Bank of Chosen of Japan in1918,Tianjin Bank of Japan in 1920,American OrientalBanking in 1929,Equitable Eastern Banking of Americain 1929,United Bank of America in November,1923,and Dunhua Bank of America in June,1935. The banksof JV were Credit Foncier d` Extreme Orient betweenFrance and Belgium in 1906 (now the site of TianjinChemical Materials Company),Italian Bank for Chinabetween Italy and China on May 6,1920 (now the site ofTianjin Electronic Meters Bureau`s units),and Industrialand Commercial Bank between China and France in1923 (now the site of Tianjin Labor Union).
        After the Gengzi Indemnity event and Renzi event,many financial institutions were bankrupted. Pawnswere looted. Cash shops came down. Especially afterthe 9.18 Event,Chinese banks and insurance companiesbegan their operation in concessions for security. RichChinese Banks wished to set up at Middle Street. Britainand French concessions forbade them to buy land atMiddle Street in the pretext of saving lands for theirexpatriates. The Chinese Banks had to choose landsnear Middle Street. No. 4 Road (Binjiang Road),No.6Road (Ha`erbin Road) and No.8 Road (Chifeng Road)of French concession were best choices. In 1930s,allhouses of Yangyinfu Road were rented by banks. It wascalled "Cash Shop Road".
        Such as: Jiaotong Bank and Zhiye Bank (in 1911) inNo.4 Road of French Concession; Dalu Bank (in 1919,No. 68-70 of Ha`erbin Road,now the site of JiaotongBank),Dasheng Bank (on March 8,1919),Kenye Bankof China (in 1926,now No. 34 of Ha`erbin Road) in No.6Road of French Concession; Bank of China,ZhongfuBank (on December 7,1916),Shanghai BusinessDepository Bank (in October,1920,first in Lion Lane ofGongbei Street,then Dongmalu in 1922,and finally No.100 of No. 8 Road) Salt Bank (in August,1928,now thesite of the operation section of Tianjin Branch of ISBC),Yujin Bank (in June,1921,now No. 32 of ChifengRoad) in No.8 Road of French Concession; Agricultureand Industry Bank of China (in 1927,now No. 24 ofChengde Road) in No. 14 Road of French Concession;and Industrial Bank of China in the Consulate Road ofBritish concession (now Datong Road).
        It was impossible for French and Britainconcessions to prevent all Chinese banks from setting upin Middle Street. The successful banks were: JinchengBank (in May,1917,now the site of AgriculturalCommittee of Tianjin),Zhongnan Bank (on July 5,1922,first at No. 10 of Middle Street,then moved to No. 88,Jiefangbei Road in 1923,now the site of Heping Branch,Construction Bank of China),Tianjin Branch of CentralBank (in 1931,now No. 179 of Jiefangbei Road,the siteof Tianjin Branch of Bank of China) and Guohua Bank(on August 15,1934,No.74 of Middle Street,Frenchconcession).
        In 1920s and 1930s,Chinese banks in Middle Streetand its nearby streets grew to be a power in Tianjinfinancing area,especially the famous Top 4 Banks inthe north (Salt Bank,Jincheng Bank,Dalu Bank andTianjin Branch of Zhongnan Bank). The street was called"Bank Street" or "the Wall Street in Tianjin" becauseit had national banks,banks between government andbusiness,business banks,foreign banks and cash shops,etc.As there are many high buildings in mediaeval,Gothic,Teutonic,Roman,Classic styles,which werecalled the "International Exposition". At the end of 1932,total deposit in 22 Tianjin banks was 25,578.8 hundredmillion,accounting for 18% of total deposit in 122 banksin China. At the end of 1933,total deposit in 22 Tianjinbanks was 40,451.5 hundred million,accounting for15.4% of total deposit in 123 banks in China. At the endof 1934,there were 29 Chinese banks,269 cash shops,88 pawns,17 foreign banks. The capital of Chinesebanks and cash shops was 0.365 billion; that of foreignbanks,0.43612 billion (unit: franc).
        At the same time,there were over 100 foreigninsurance companies and 50 Chinese insurancecompanies. Next to Shanghai,Tianjin was the secondlargest financial city in China of quantity,capital,andbusiness volume and operation area. It became the realfinancial center in Northern China.

        

·行址设在原英租银行街的金城银行天津分行内景