Shanxi Merchants old street

Shanxi Merchants old street

The old street of Shanxi merchants, located in the ancient city of Zhao Yu, Qixian, is a street that is traversing the East and West and antique. It is the essence of the cultural heritage of the famous city, and it is 1 kilometers long.

Street size

On both sides of the street are the sites of hundreds of commercial shops, such as tea houses, tobacco shops, ticket houses, banks, Douhang shops and pawnshops, as well as more than 1000 luxury houses and courtyards in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. They are well preserved. They are simple and powerful, with cornices and beams crisscrossed. Architecture experts call it "a collection of the great achievements of Jiangnan and Hebei, and a collection of the French styles of song, yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties". It is a rare material material to study the county system, street planning, residential buildings and commercial layout in ancient China, and also a historical witness to the glory of Shanxi Merchants in Ming and Qing Dynasties.

Qixian County has successively used the former sites of business houses and residential houses in this street to open the qujia courtyard Shanxi Merchants Cultural Museum, changyuchuan Shanxi Merchants Tea House Museum, the largest abacus Museum in China, Ming and Qing furniture museum, Shanxi Merchants escort agency, weighing and measuring Museum and other tourist attractions, restoring the plaque and cover of the old commercial brands in Ming and Qing Dynasties, and reproducing the charm of the ancient city and the vividness of merchants gathering picture scroll.

In 2011, Jinshang old street in Qixian County was selected into the third "famous street of Chinese history and culture" with the remarkable achievement of ranking first.

Historical evolution

Qixian ancient city was built in the Taihe period of the Northern Wei Dynasty (477-499), more than 1500 years ago. On both sides of the streets of the ancient city, there are hundreds of old commercial shops and residential houses that retain the architectural style of the Ming and Qing Dynasties. In January 1994, as an important carrier and outstanding model of China's commercial and financial ancient city and the history, architecture, culture and art of the Han nationality in the north, Qi county was approved by the State Council as a national historical and cultural city. The East, South, West and North streets of the ancient city are collectively referred to as the old street of Shanxi merchants.

Qi County in Shanxi Province has a long history and was called "Zhaoyu" in ancient times. As early as 6000 years ago, people lived in the Neolithic age. In the spring and Autumn period, it was Qi Huangyang, a senior official of the Jin Dynasty. It was the first place in Central Shanxi where administrative settings appeared. Qixian, as a "county", appeared in 514 BC. This is the first place in the country to be called "county". Among more than 2000 counties in China, Qi county has the longest seniority. The county seat of Qi county has changed three places in history. The first county is in Guxian Town, which is close to the south mountain of Qixian County. The second county is in Qicheng village, which is southeast of wuligeta. The last county is the ancient city of Qixian County.

The earliest county city of Qi county was built in Gu County. Ancient county is divided into Shanggu county and XiaGu county. Qi Xi was the fourth grandson of Xian Gong of Jin Dynasty. His original surname was Ji. Because he lived in Qi, he changed his surname from Di to Qi, which is the famous Qi Huangyang in history. Qi Xi lived in an ancient county, commanding a large area of territory from Taiyuan in the north to Lingshi in the south. At that time, there was no "county system" and Qi county had not yet appeared. The ancient county town of Qi county was not called "county" at that time. It could not be found in ancient books. We estimated that it was the official residence where Qi Xi governed Zhaoyu Qi.

In 514 BC, the six ministers of Jin divided Zhaoyu Qi into seven counties, and Qi county was one of the seven counties. Jin Liuqing (Jin Liuqing is Zhao, Wei, Han, Zhi, fan, Zhongxing) was one of the Weixian school's officials, Jia Xin. Jia Xin is the first county official in the history of Qi county. Jia Xin still lives in Shanggu county and XiaGu county. Qi county has its first county in history.

The first county lasted 800 years from 514 B.C. at the end of the spring and Autumn period to the end of the third century A.D. In the period of simayan, Emperor Wu of Jin Dynasty, Li Xi was appointed magistrate of Qi county. Li Xi moved the county northward from ancient county to Qicheng village of Qi county. This is the first large-scale migration of Qixian County. As the county seat of Qixian County, Qicheng village experienced more than 200 years from the end of the third century to the end of the fifth century.

Influenced by the natural ecological changes of ancient Qi County, during Taihe period of the Northern Wei Dynasty, the county of Qi county moved to Zhaoyu ancient city for the second time. The ancient city is a earthen City, which is square and lacks a right angle in the southeast direction of the city. Therefore, the whole city is similar to the gauze hat worn by ancient officials, so it is called "gauze hat city". The existing ancient city is 850 meters long, the north and the south are 700 meters wide, and the total area of the city is 54.9 hectares. The ancient city architectural style, "the collection of the south of Hebei and the French style of the song, yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties", is a miniature of Shanxi Merchants in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, retaining the essence of the Chinese nation's architecture, culture and art, and enriching the tourist resources. Shizijiekou is the center of the urban layout. Four main streets in the East, South, West and North intersect vertically. The south is straight to the north, and the East corresponds to the West. With the cross as the skeleton, the whole city is supplemented by 28 streets and alleys. Most of these streets and alleys are neat and standard, parallel to the main street, which shows that the whole layout structure is rigorous, reflecting the style of traditional architectural design in ancient China. In the direction of individual streets and lanes, some irregular types are added, which makes the layout of the whole city neat and reasonable, and not rigid. Ancient government offices, ancient temples, ancient academies, ancient post stations and other public facilities are well arranged. The East, West, South and North streets are fronted with shops. Most of the buildings are of two-story brick and wood structure, with exposed columns and eaves. They are decorated with wood carvings, painted and painted in ancient style.

In January 1994, Qi County, as an important carrier and outstanding model of China's commercial and financial ancient city and the 6000 year history, architecture, culture and art of the northern Han nationality, was approved as a national historical and cultural city by the State Council.

Pattern of old streets

Qixian ancient city is a county built on the basis of the traditional thinking and architectural style of the Han nationality in the feudal society of China. Whether it is the shape of "Shamao city", or the layout of the city proper from the south to the north, the east-west, the colorful courtyard, the two-story street shops, the strict and strict temples and pavilions, all achieve the use function and function The perfect unity of architectural art plays an important role in the history of Chinese architecture and aesthetics. For many years, it has been the material teaching material of Tongji University and many other universities and various painting academies in China.

As the hometown of Shanxi merchants, Qixian County is the commercial and financial center of the whole country in Ming and Qing Dynasties. There are several hundred shops in the ancient city, which show the prosperity of tea, ticket, duel, classic, cloth and miscellaneous industry in that year. 18 former sites, such as changyuchuan tea house, tell the hardships of Shanxi Merchants in opening up the road of tea. 12 influential enterprises, such as heshengyuan, dadeheng, dadetong and sanjinyuan, etc The former sites of Zhaoyu academy and Jingxin school show the foresight and sagacity of Shanxi Merchants in cultivating talents; all kinds of trade rules and historical materials contain the way of Shanxi Merchants' honesty and separation of power. It can be said that the former sites of these shops highlight that the old streets of Shanxi Merchants contain thousands of Shanxi Merchants' culture.

The buildings in the old street of Shanxi merchants, if there are objects, there must be pictures. If there are pictures, there must be intentions. If there are intentions, there must be auspiciousness. The forehead, plaques and couplets of many business houses and courtyards are all made by famous artists in the past dynasties. In addition, the works and treasures of celebrities are elegant and rich, which makes people obsessed and intoxicated. Many tycoons promoted the production and spread of Jin opera by making it prosperous and forming troupes. The stage in the qujia courtyard of dongdajie street is the birthplace of the "shangxiajuliyuan", the first famous class of Jinju opera in those years. Qitai Yangko also rose from this land and has a national and overseas reputation.

Cultural value

The four streets in the East, South, West and north of Qixian ancient city are collectively referred to as "Shanxi Merchants old street". Jinshang old street is still a commercial pedestrian street with the traditional style of Ming and Qing Dynasties. It is also a cultural old street with better local traditional cultural characteristics.

Street space: the spatial structure of the old street of Shanxi Merchants is in the form of a cross, with four city gates leading to the ancient city in the longitudinal direction and parallel streets connecting with the old street in the transverse direction. The old street is 5 to 7 meters wide and paved with ochre red rough stones.

Architectural pattern: most of the shops on both sides of the old street are one or more courtyard houses in the north. Most of the buildings near the street have two floors. The first floor is used for business and workshop, and the second floor is used for warehouse. It is a typical system of front shop, back shop and accommodation. The width of the shop is generally five rooms, and each room is about 2.5 to 3 meters. The depth of the shop is large. Some shops, such as juquantang pharmacy, have a depth of 9 meters.

Architectural style: the shops on both sides of the block are simple and dignified, standing in the middle of the road, scattered and well arranged. The traditional wooden structure, small green tiles, brick carved horsehead wall and cantilevered gatehouse still maintain the architectural style of Jinzhong workshops and Jinzhong dwellings since the Ming and Qing Dynasties, and are known as the "moving riverside map of Qingming". The shops along the street are operated in an open style, with wooden doors and painted facade. Dougong, fence carved flowers, birds, insects, fish and other auspicious patterns, most of the shop owners are asked to write shop names, using black, orchid gold horizontal plaques. The old street of Shanxi Merchants is an important part of the regional culture of Jinzhong. It is an old street with multi era characteristics and distinct personality value, which is well preserved and most representative among the same types of old streets in Jinzhong.

Qi county has always been simple, industrious and thrifty, advocating etiquette, adhering to the style of the Tang Dynasty. The former sites of Zhaoyu academy founded in Jin Dynasty and Jingxin school in the early Republic of China still exist. Qi county is the birthplace of Jin opera and Qitai Yangko, and the birthplace of Chinese Neijia boxing, Dai's Xinyi boxing. Business style, integrity, justice for profit, know people and good responsibilities

Chinese PinYin : Jin Shang Lao Jie