Research On Shanshan Guild Hall In Liaocheng(1743-1894)

The Guild Hall was created in the Ming Dynasty as a group activity venue built in different places for the purpose of safeguarding the interests of fellow villagers.Shanshan Guild Hall was a gathering place jointly built by merchants from Shanxi and Shaanxi provinces during the Ming and Qing dynasties when they were operating in different places.During the Ming and Qing dynasties,with the development of commerce,the formation of the national market,and the emergence of merchant gangs on the historical stage,merchant guild halls gradually emerged and flourished in the Qing Dynasty.Merchants from the two provinces of Shanshan and Shaanxi rose in the Ming Dynasty and became the most representative group of merchants during the Ming and Qing dynasties through their own efforts.In order to create a better business environment in different places,Shanshan merchants often chose to jointly build guilds in important commercial towns and land and water terminals as their business foothold.The establishment of the Shanshan Guild Hall in Liaocheng was closely related to transportation and commercial routes.During the Ming and Qing dynasties,thanks to the Grand Canal,Liaocheng became a commercial city with convenient transportation and unimpeded commercial routes.At the same time,due to the immigration policies of the Ming Dynasty government,Liaocheng had a strong rural environment with many Shanxi immigrants,attracting a large number of Shanshan merchants to operate here.The construction of the Liaocheng Shanshan Guild Hall began in the first year of Qianlong’s reign(1763),and construction began in the eighth year of Qianlong’s reign(1743).After many expansions and renovations,it cost a lot of money.The funds of the Liaocheng Shanshan Guild Hall were mainly raised from Shanshan merchants through voluntary donations and the extraction of lijin.In the Qing Dynasty,Shanshan and Shaanxi merchants were active in commercial trade in Liaocheng,with a large number of trade names and broad business lines.The operation of Shanshan merchants in Liaocheng will connect Liaocheng with important regional markets across the country,and the business scale of Shanshan merchants largely reflects the commercial scale of Liaocheng.During the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty,the Shanshan merchants in Liaocheng were in a rising stage of development,and during the Jiaqing period,they continued to develop,reaching their peak during the Daoguang period.At this time,the Shanshan Guild Hall in Liaocheng was also in the most prosperous stage,and the social economy in Liaocheng also presented a prosperous scene.After the establishment of the Shanshan Guild Hall in Liaocheng,it assumed the functions of connecting with fellow villagers,offering sacrifices to gods,entertaining,and protecting the interests of Shanshan merchants.The establishment of the Guild Hall also promoted exchanges between Shanshan merchants and the local merchants and people in Liaocheng,and also brought closer friendly exchanges with the literati class.At the same time,the establishment of Shanshan Guild Hall has played a promoting role in Liaocheng’s economy,and also had a profound impact on Liaocheng’s social atmosphere,customs,culture,and ideological beliefs.In the late Qing Dynasty,with the abandonment of the Grand Canal,Liaocheng,a canal city,gradually declined,and the business scale of Shanshan merchants was increasingly shrinking.The Shanshan Guild Hall also tended to decline during the Xiantong period.During the Guangxu period,it was difficult to maintain after the last renovation of the entire Qing Dynasty.Soon thereafter,Shanshan merchants continued to withdraw from the Guild Hall.Studying the Shanshan Guild Hall in Liaocheng can trace back the history of Shanshan merchants and help us deeply understand the business management methods and business wisdom of Shanshan merchants,especially Shanxi merchants.At the same time,it can also deeply explore the commercial development context of Liaocheng region in the Qing Dynasty,and witness the changes of Liaocheng,a canal city,in the Qing Dynasty.