In this recent photo, a 100-year-old house is seen among skyscrapers in Shanghai's Lujiazui area. The house will be turned into a finance museum.

A 100-year-old house nestled among Shanghai Lujiazui's soaring skyscrapers will be turned into a finance museum, Pudong government said on Tuesday.

The house, to the north of Jinmao Tower, was one of the few old buildings left untouched when the government bulldozed the area to build the Lujiazui Financial Zone.

It was built in the early 20th century for Chen Guichun, a self-made business tycoon and Pudong native.

Five years ago, the city government invested more than 10 million yuan (US$1.3 million) to turn the building into an exhibition hall on Lujiazui's history, officials said.

The building has been empty for about a year since the exhibition hall was merged with the new Pudong Expo hall near the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum.

"We want to put new exhibits into the house and to turn it into the city's most comprehensive finance museum," Zhu Longzhu, head of the Pudong New Area Cultural Relics Commission, said.

The government has invited a design company to draw a blueprint of the museum, whose exhibits are expected to cover banks, stocks and futures trading.

Officials said they hope the museum can open in a year.

One key characteristic of the house is its carving patterns that reflect both Chinese and the West.

(Shanghai Daily May 24, 2007)