Summary

Shanxi businessmen are the earliest businessmen in Chinese history. Their emergence can be dated back to four or five hundred years ago. In their heyday, during the Ming and Qing dynasties, Shanxi businessmen, as a business bloc, were among the top 10 business blocs in China. Pursuing commercial integrity as their cardinal principal, having the strong backing of abundant capital, and with far-sighted management, they explored a variety of business scopes and markets. Their business firms covered salt, iron, cotton, cloth, furs, silk, tea, and financial establishments, etc., spreading all over the country and even reaching as far as Europe, Japan, South-east Asia, and Arabian countries. They had been holding a dominant position in the business world of China for 500 years. As a full coverage of the history and commercial culture of Shangxi businessmen, this 8-part TV series is a representative work of Chinese documentaries.