Jin Business

Chinese Culture--Jin Business

Jin Business or Shanxi Business dated back to the Zhou Dynasty, and developed in the Tang Dynasty and trived in the Ming Dynasty and reached its peak in the Qing Dynasty.

（一）Origination of Shanxi business lies in three factors.

1)      Shanxi was rich in various resources. They transported the natural resources to other places and sold them to the local people.

2)      Shanxi was poor in the farming land. People had to make a living by business. For example, Qiao Family in Qi County were forced to leave hometown at the beginning of business. The founder was just an apprentice worker far away in Inner Mongolia. After the family had earned some money they began to mak Doufu, a kind of popular food from beans. And another rich family Qu Family originated with peddlers, and another rich family Wang Family originated selling Doufu, too. Chang Family originated as a walking businessman of groceries.

3)      Shanxi was located with military superiority. Inner Mongolia needed food, cloth and daily goods from inner land, and inner land needed horses from Inner Mongolia. Shanxi was just at the place to exchange for both sides.

（二）Jin Business Activities

Jin Business activities usually included three parts:

1)      selling the salt, iron, wheat, cotton, leather, wood, tobacco to the south which Shanxi was rich in;

2)      buying silk, tea, rice from the south;

3) selling those from the south to the northwest of China, Mongolia and Russia.