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Zhaoyu Aims to Reignite Shanxi Merchants' Glory

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Zhaoyu Aims to Reignite Shanxi Merchants' Glory 6 | DISCOVER SHANXI Friday, July 10, 2020 CHINA DAILY Zhaoyu aims to reignite Lifestyle in Taiyuan Shanxi merchants’ glory impresses Qixian county to redevelop town into center of tea culture and tourism teacher By YUAN SHENGGAO Zhaoyu were recognized by the then Ministry of Culture as Chinese histor­ By SHARINA MAE The ancient town of Zhaoyu in ical and cultural streets. MENDOZA PISO Qixian county, Shanxi province, is in There are 33 sites related to the line to regain its glory as a hub of the ancient tea trade in Qixian, among On March 24, I arrived in Tai­ famed Shanxi merchants after local which, 13 sites are on a China­recom­ yuan, capital of Shanxi province. authorities announced an ambitious mended candidate list for the UNES­ The feeling was delightful but at plan on July 1. CO World Cultural Heritage sites. the same time nerve­wracking It called for efforts to build Zhaoyu, In Qixian’s new development plan because we were in a fight the county seat of Qixian, into a “cen­ and Europe through the hubs of to build a tea cultural hub, Zhaoyu, as against COVID­19. In addition, it ter of tea culture” in Shanxi and a key Qixian and Kiakhata, creating a trade well as the entire county, will be posi­ was my first time to China. destination for tea­themed tourism. route of more than 10,000 tioned as a center for tea trade and a Because of the pandemic, I Shanxi is known for its historical kilometers,” Wang said. destination for tourism. needed to undergo 14­day quar­ commerce that was developed by the “In centuries before the 1700s, Chi­ In its role as a tea trade center, the antine at a hotel. famed Shanxi merchants, or Jin­ na­Russia trade was dominated by authorities in Qixian and Shanxi are Life inside the hotel seemed so shang. It is said Jinshang merchants products like silk and porcelain. It expected to highlight operations in easy. Within those 14 days, I start­ dominated commercial circles in was the businesspeople in Qixian both traditional teas and emerging ed observing, learning and North China for about 500 years that developed the trade of tea and herbal teas. adapting to the changes. since the Ming Dynasty (1368­1644). eventually led to the prosperity of Jin­ In recent years, Shanxi authorities The hotel staff and other peo­ However, many of these successful shang merchants,” Wang said. have attached great importance to ple who were also in quarantine merchants started out as small ven­ The Jinshang Tea Firms Museum the development of the herbal tea were very kind and friendly. dors who traveled as far as Russia. is based in the former headquarters industry. They aim to nurture a I was the only foreigner in the The trade in tea products was a of Changyuchuan. Owned by the Qu unique Shanxi herbal tea brand next group. The staff always helped me dominant business of Jinshang mer­ family, Changyuchuan was among to China’s established brand names whenever I needed something, chants for centuries. the oldest and largest tea­trading like Longjing, Oolong and Rock Tea. asked what foods I like and dis­ In the 1700s, the merchants — businesses in Qixian county. Lou Yangsheng, Party secretary of like to eat. The food was great and especially those in Qixian — discov­ On display in the museum are old Shanxi province, directed officials in healthy so I couldn’t ask for more. ered the great potential of Chinese tea account ledgers, documents and tea Qixian to make the county a major Every night and day, I looked in the markets of North Asia that bricks as well as equipment for stor­ driver for the growth of the herbal tea out of the window to see what was nowadays includes Mongolia and age and transportation. industry in Shanxi by developing the happening outside and observed Siberia. “Seeing all the exhibits, I county into a new distribution hub. the people passing by. Many peo­ According to Wang Zaipan, a tour understand the enterprising spirit of Lou made the remarks during a ple use bikes to get to their desti­ guide at the Jinshang Tea Firms the Jinshang merchants,” said Guo meeting in November 2019, when he nations, and that’s one of the big Museum in Zhaoyu, diseases linked Jianghong, a tourist from Tianjin. was the governor of the province. differences I can see from my to malnutrition were common According to local records made With regard to its role as a tea cul­ home country, the Philippines. among nomads in North Asia as meat during the Qing Dynasty (1644­1911), ture tourism destination, Shanxi Cul­ Two weeks passed and I was was their staple food. the merchants in Qixian established ture and Tourism Group will be Top: The ancient town of Zhaoyu was a hub for the famed Jinshang freed from quarantine. It was “Merchants in Qixian learned from operations throughout tea produc­ responsible for new infrastructure merchants in history. Middle and above: Exhibits at the Jinshang one of the best days of my life — businesspeople selling tea in South­ tion areas in China and many regions and marketing in Qixian. Tea Firms Museum show how tea products were transported to start living my life in Taiyuan. west China’s Tibet that tea could help of Russia and other Asian and Euro­ “We plan to complete a renovation centuries ago. PHOTOS BY ZAHNG JIONG / FOR CHINA DAILY I was determined to forge a ful­ with digesting meat,” Wang said. pean countries. The booming tea of the ancient town in three years and filling social life. I met some Chi­ The tour guide added that Qixian’s trade made Qixian a center for the related branding campaigns will go nese and other foreign friends merchants nurtured a tea market in Jinshang merchants in Shanxi and a on at the same time,” said Wang Lin, hub in China, Qixian is witness to a have a new role to play in Shanxi’s and walked around the parks North Asia. They established dealer­ hub for China’s foreign trade. general manager of Shanxi Culture brilliant tea culture in the country.” opening­up,” the executive added. and around Taiyuan’s brightly lit ships in the Russian city of Kiakhata. In 1994, Qixian was approved by and Tourism Group. “As it is turning into a distribution shopping district at night. “They purchased teas from Fujian the State Council as a Chinese histori­ Wang Wenbao, board chairman of hub of teas and integrating into the Zhang Yang contributed to province and sold them to North Asia cal and cultural city. The old streets of the group, said: “Once a tea­trading Belt and Road Initiative, Qixian will this story. New high­speed train tightens province’s links with neighbors By YUAN SHENGGAO business to North Asia that includes matic change in travel time. today’s Mongolia and Siberia. “The train trip was more than 10 A bullet train departed Taiyuan, Over the past 500 years, Shanxi hours when I came to Shanxi a capital of Shanxi province, for Hoh­ merchants opened a great number of month ago. And now I’m going to hot, capital of the Inner Mongolia businesses in Hohhot and Baotou. reach Hohhot in four hours,” Wei Sharina Mae Mendoza Piso autonomous region, on July 1, sealing Many of them settled down in Inner said. She added that she had visited takes a selfie near the Fenhe Shanxi’s high­speed rail connection Mongolia. Shanxi by air or by conventional Bridge. PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY to all four of its neighboring provin­ The large­scale immigration that train, “but the experience in a high­ cial and regional capitals. took place in the 19th and 20th cen­ speed train is the most comfortable”. The high­speed train service is the turies also brought many Shanxi resi­ On the inaugural train, crew mem­ Another thing that impressed latest effort of Shanxi to improve its dents to Inner Mongolia to develop bers entertained passengers by sing­ me is the way of living. Food is connectivity to neighboring regions. farming and other trades. ing folk songs and introducing cheap. The cost of living is not This will play an important role in “Many of my relatives now live in tourist attractions of both regions. high and shops are very accessi­ developing Shanxi into an important Inner Mongolia. The new high­speed Kong Lingnan, head of the crew, ble. I also love online shopping, tourist destination in North China, railway can make our mutual visits said the train’s route covers many using Taobao and Pinduoduo. according to local officials. A crew member entertains passengers on the inaugural bullet train much easier,” said Wu Xiaona, a Tai­ attractions such as Jinci Temple and If there’s one thing that I do Yan Yi, an official at Taiyuan South from Taiyuan to Hohhot with Mongolian folk song and dance. yuan resident on the inaugural bullet Yungang Grottoes in Shanxi and find difficult for me is to adapt to Railway Station, said the new high­ PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY train to Hohhot. Daozhao Temple and Daqing Moun­ the language. Many Chinese peo­ speed train, which is named Guan­ “I was told that many of my rela­ tains in Inner Mongolia. ple in Taiyuan don’t really speak yun, can shorten the journey to less tives traveled to Inner Mongolia by “Our crew members have attend­ English. The Chinese language than five hours. By conventional day, allowing travelers to easily reach result of close business relations and foot or by riding wagons a century ed training to get familiar with the supersedes others in originality train, it would normally take more major tourist attractions in Inner immigration.
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