As for the foreign banks in Shanghai, the senior in Shanghai is much familiar to them. The”洋行”was the shortened form of those business and trade enterprises that invested and operated by foreigners before 1949. perhaps, many people do not know the Bund was formally to be a built-up business center from a dirty deserted beach. The first group of foreign banks was established in the Bund after the bund was opened.

In 1843, a team of British businessmen came to this strange and unfamiliar city with their first consul. At that time, the Bund was nothing but a common wasteland. But the experience and intuition indicated this is a covered gem. After several negotiations with Shanghai authorities, 8 banks were initially settled in Bund. That was Yihe Bank, Heji Bank, Renji Bank, Senhe Bank, Yuji Bank, Libaili Bank and Baoshun Bank. There were no any celebrations but the sawing sound and hammering sound for bank and dock building.

The appearance of the foreign banks not only changed the look of the Bund but also introduced capitalistic industry and business as well as the advanced techniques into Shanghai. Yihe Bank entitled the king of foreign banks built up China’s first textile factory—Shanghai Textile Sector and established China’s first railway—Songhu Railway. It also established Yihe Steamship Corporation. Chinese tea, silk, leather and tung oil were sold by them to the other world as well.

But this railway was not recognized by the central government for its casualty caused by train running. During the process of handover and takeover of railway sovereignty, officials of Qing Dynasty refused to take the special trains fully prepared by British businessmen. They would rather take the unstable and time-consuming sedan chair. They spent roughly 3 hours in arriving in Wusong. The foreigners felt embarrassed. Pitifully, Songhu Railway was ended by then. The railway was dismantled disorderly and later these materials were sent to Taiwan.

At that time, Chinese oil-supply was thoroughly from British branched company in China of Shell Oil Company. Chinese native called it 洋油, which means the oil from abroad. The bosses of the foreign banks were called 大班，equally the post of general manager. The business-assistant of the boss was called Comprador. In modern English it’s identical to broker. As the increase of the foreign banks, the Bund gradually became a comprador-class world. They ate western-style food and lived in the western-style house, besides many people understood the foreign languages.

As the assistants of foreign boss, the compradors try all-out to keep the business running and also gained much payment. Of course, the gainings of comprador is comprised of salary and commission. They also took some immoral and illicit measures to increase their income.