Page 52 - JCAU-7-2

Journal of Chinese
Architecture and Urbanism Shan-Shaan Guild Hall on Great Tea Route

th
Figure 2. Historical map of Jia County from the 9 year of the Xianfeng era (1860). Source: Drawing by Yixin Wang based on the historical map in the Jia
County Annals.
valuable goods. The city, being a mix of diverse populations, 2010). This prosperity is also evident in the renovation
posed higher security risks compared to the open, easily and expansion of the Shanxi-Shaanxi Guild Hall in Jia
guarded surroundings outside the city, bordered by a County during the 23 year of the Jiaqing era (1819). This
rd
flat River. Third, unlike the city gates, which adhered to event is documented on the beam of the main hall in the
fixed opening times, the guild hall’s location outside the guild hall (Figure 3) (Jia County Literature and Historical
city allowed unrestricted entry and exit, accommodating Data Research Committee of the CPPCC, 1987). The
merchants and travelers at any hour. expanded complex included a temple yard, a backyard,
and an east yard, forming three major architectural groups
4.2. History of the Shanxi-Shaanxi Guild Hall in Jia (Cheng, 2010).
County
The decline of the Great Tea Route began in the
The signing of the Treaty of Nerchinsk between Russia th
and China in 1689 marked the formal establishment of early 20 century. The collapse of the Jin tea company
the Great Tea Route (Ding & Song, 2015). Four years later, Dashengkui (大盛魁) in 1929 and a fire in the trading town
in the 32 year of the Kangxi period of the Qing dynasty of Chaktun in the 1920s marked significant turning points
nd
(1693), 12 merchants from Shanxi and Shaanxi established (Ding & Song, 2015). Correspondingly, the end of the
the Shanxi-Shaanxi Guild Hall in Jia County (County, Qing dynasty and the beginning of the Chinese Civil War
1983). This guild hall emerged as a result of the Great Tea brought increased warfare between warlords, widespread
Route’s development and growing significance. social unrest, and economic depression. Consequently,
Shanxi-Shaanxi merchants abandoned Henan, returning
In 1727, the Qing government signed the Treaty of to their hometowns to escape the turmoil. The Shanxi-
Chaktu with the Tsarist Russian government, followed Shaanxi Guild Hall in Jia County fell into decline, losing its
by the official opening of the market in Chaktu in 1728. former prosperity.
This market became a vital hub for mutual trade at the
Sino-Russian border. From that point, trade between the 5. Characteristics of the Shanxi-Shaanxi
two countries began to flourish, providing the foundation Guild Hall from the perspective of the Great
for the gradual development of the Great Tea Route (Liu,
2007). The prosperity of the Great Tea Route brought Tea Route
significant wealth to Shanxi-Shaanxi merchants. Between 5.1. Tangible heritage characteristics
the reigns of Kangxi and Qianlong, Shanxi-Shaanxi
merchants established more than 30 Shanxi-Shaanxi guild 5.1.1. Transportation
halls in Henan Province, including Kaifeng, Luoyang, The Great Tea Route passing through the Shanxi-Shaanxi
Zhoukou, Nanyang, and Pingdingshan (Zhang & Zhang, Guild Hall in Jia County evolved from the Ancient Wanluo

Volume 7 Issue 2 (2025) 5 https://doi.org/10.36922/jcau.4582