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Pingyao Historic City and Qiao Family Courtyard Zhang

shangren in the history of Chinese cultural, and economic dimensions.
entrepreneurs. The study shows that what has made
The factors attributed to the success of Pingyao Historic City resilient and
Shanxi shangren can be summarized as such: responsible are its people, who have
daring to take risks, able to bear hardships, embraced traditional Chinese cultural values
hardworking, enterprising, pioneering, of honesty and simplicity in life. The city wall
innovating, work ethics, long-distance trade, has indeed helped Pingyao to survive from a
emphasis on goodwill, treating coworkers catastrophic flood in 1977, and the city wall
with respect, knowing and trusting people, collapsed afterwards. It was Pingyao
rewarding employees, control of profit, residents who have worked hard together to
excellent management strategies, dictatorship restore the city wall to its original form and
of chief shopkeeper, apprenticeship system of scale.
young staff, body stock system, bidding The findings also reveal that what has
system, strict piaohao rules, strict accounting, made Qiao Family Courtyard resilient and
and concern of credibility. During the 300 responsible are their family members who had
years of Qing dynasty, the Shanxi shangren in followed Confucian ethics of honesty,
Qi County, Taigu, Pingyao, Jiexiu, Yuci, and trustworthiness, and righteousness when
other counties, took a leading role, whose conducting their family business. Moreover,
accomplishments mostly relied on Han- they had followed a good set of management
Mongolian trade, Sino-Russian trade, and the strategies, including the piaohao system,
subsequent rise of piaohao financial industry among others.
[17] . Shanxi shangren had held sway over
The prosperity of Shanxi shangren lasted Chinese business world for 500 years. They
for 500 years, having achieved the mission of had further reached other parts of the world
dominating the business world for half a with a strong economic force, and their
millennium. Its decline was only a matter of decline was only since the early 1950s.
decades. The aggression of foreign capitalist Although Shanxi merchants have retired from
economy, the uncertain domestic and foreign history, their legacy and business ethics have
situations, the development of modern sustained as an outstanding example for
transportation, the southward movement of newer generations.
North Road trade, the vicious squeeze of the The piaohao financial system was
Qing court, and the conservative business China’s radical invention nearly 200 years
rules, have let Shanxi shangren fail to follow ago (1823). In contemporary world, the
the historic trend, making them fall towards advances in Chinese digital currency [18-20]
recession. The Shanxi merchant group was can be regarded as China’s new contribution
completely destroyed in the early 1950s, to global economy, whose power and
however, its culture has perpetuated [17] . potential cannot be underestimated.

6. CONCLUSION CONFLICT OF INTEREST
This article provided an in-depth study of
Pingyao historic city planning and vernacular The author declares no conflict of interest.
architecture in the Ming and Qing dynasties,
with a focus on its iconic buildings of social, FUNDING
cultural, and economic significance. Pingyao The research received no specific grant from
city wall, city gates, temples, civic buildings, any funding agency in the public, commercial,
and vernacular courtyard houses were the key or not-for-profit sectors.
elements being studied. Furthermore, it
investigated Qiao Family Courtyard in Qi FURTHER DISCLOSURE
County nearby, with regards to its th
architectural form and space, and social, This paper was presented at the 4
International Conference on Resilient and

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