Western scholars use Jews as a metaphor for Shanxi businessmen. Why can Shanxi businessmen enjoy a high reputation overseas?

Influenced by Confucius and Mencius, Shanxi merchants combined the traditional Confucian principles of being a man with financial management, stressing that "a gentleman loves money and takes it wisely". In the late Paleolithic period, about 30,000 years ago, there were human activities in Jinzhong area. It belonged to Jin in the Spring and Autumn Period and Zhao in the Warring States Period. After Qin and Han Dynasties, it was under the jurisdiction of Taiyuan County and Taiyuan Prefecture. After the establishment of Yuci area, it was renamed Jinzhong area and changed to Jinzhong area. Near the Millennium, it was changed to prefecture-level Jinzhong city.

This city is located in the middle of Shanxi Province, bordering Taihang Mountain in the east, Linfen River in the west, Taiyuan, the provincial capital in the north, Changzhi and Linfen in the south, Yangquan in the northeast and Lvliang in the southwest. It is one of the railway and highway hubs in Shanxi Province, and it is also an ancient and active modern city with profound cultural heritage.

In the history of China's modern economic development since the Ming and Qing Dynasties, Shanxi merchants galloping across Europe and Asia attracted worldwide attention, especially those in Jinzhong Basin, represented by Taigu, Qixian, Yuci and Pingyao.

For the great cause of commerce and trade, the business scope is all-encompassing, winning the first voice of finance. Banks and banks have been in the world for more than 500 years, creating unprecedented prosperity in the century and leaving a splendid business culture on the land of China.

Historically, Shanxi merchants did not originate in Jinzhong at the earliest. It gradually advances from the south of Shanxi to the north. At the beginning of Qing Dynasty, the merchants in Jinzhong replaced the dominant position of merchants in southern Shanxi and southeastern Shanxi, and became the most outstanding representatives of Shanxi merchants.

At the same time, due to the imbalance of domestic economic development, the strength, business direction and business ideas of commercial banks in various regions of Shanxi are different. Most banks operate in Pingyao, Qixian, Taigu and intermediary, and most of them operate in Zeze, Shandong, Jiangxi, Taiping and Linxian. As a result, the bank financial capital group represented by Jinzhong Canal, Joe, Wang and Cao and the commercial capital group led by Shangdang and Jinnan were formed. Even western scholars say that Shanxi merchants are Jews in the west!

Therefore, there are four cities (Taigu City, Pingyao Ancient City, Qixian Historical and Cultural City and Yuci Old City) and six courtyards (Yuci Changjia Manor, Qixian Qiaojia Courtyard, Qujia Courtyard, Lingshi Wang Jia Courtyard, Taigu Caojia Courtyard and Taigu Kong Xiangxi Courtyard) that bear the culture of Shanxi merchants.