The elegant two-floor building at number 33 on the Bund, Shanghai's historic waterfront, was at the heart of British trade and interests in China. Behind it lay the Bund Garden, an acre of green space landscaped by an imported Scottish gardener. The consulate, and the consul's residence next door, were built in 1873 and are some of the oldest buildings still standing on the Bund. After the British gave up the concession, the complex was used by Chinese bureaucrats but it fell into disrepair after being abandoned. The Chinese authorities began a project to restore the buildings and to use them to entertain visiting politicians and dignitaries in 2009.