“Got any Feilo Audio stock?” That is probably what some were asking in China’s early stock trading days. Now, we stand before the China Securities Museum in Shanghai. It is more than just a museum. It’s a portal into China’s financial evolution.
The China Securities Museum is housed in a building with a rich past. It was once the Astor House Hotel. This was China’s first western-style hotel. Founded in 1846, it moved to this location in 1858. The building saw many firsts in modern China between the 1890s and 1920s. In 1959, it was renamed Pujiang Hotel.
A pivotal moment occurred on December 19, 1990. The Shanghai Stock Exchange opened here. This marked the beginning of China’s securities market. The China Securities Museum is located at 15 Huangpu Road, Hongkou District.
Approved in January 2018, the China Securities Museum officially opened on December 22, 2018. It is the only national museum for stocks, futures, and funds. The China Securities Museum isn’t just about the past. It’s also a national education base for investors. It promotes international cultural exchange. It serves as a patriotic education site. It is even a site commemorating Chinese revolutions. The State Cultural Relics Bureau included it in Overview of the Chinese Revolution Memorial Halls.
The museum covers a broad range of financial instruments. These include stocks, futures, bonds, and funds. It also touches on banking and insurance. It focuses on China’s capital market since reform and opening-up. It traces back to ancient times when stocks and bonds first appeared. The China Securities Museum showcases China’s financial market development. It also explores global financial culture and securities history.
One of the prized exhibits is the opening gong of the Shanghai Stock Exchange. It was bought at Shanghai’s City God Temple for 600 yuan. It was first struck here on December 19, 1990. This ushered in a new era for China’s securities market.
The China Securities Museum also recreates China’s first stock trading counter. In 1986, the Jing’an Securities Business Department traded stocks for Feilo Audio and Yanzhong Industrial. This happened through cash transactions. The department opened on September 26, 1986. The total turnover was 80,000 yuan.
Another exhibit of interest is a stock issued by the Kaiping Mining Bureau in 1881. It is considered the earliest stock found in China. The China Securities Museum also displays a 50-yuan Feilo Audio stock. Deng Xiaoping gifted it to the chairman of the New York Stock Exchange in 1986.
The China Securities Museum aims to be a top center. It wants to be a place for exhibits and international exchange. It strives to educate investors. It hopes to capture the history of China’s capital market. It plays a role in promoting high-quality development. It also cultivates financial culture with Chinese characteristics.
Today, the China Securities Museum stands as a testament. It shows China’s journey in the world of finance. It reminds us of the past. It inspires us to look forward to the future of China’s financial markets.