Jinshang Merchants Museum opens

The Jinshang Merchants Museum in Taiyuan opened to visitors for free in its trial operation on Dec 28. The museum, located in the city's Xinghualing district and covering a floor space of 30,000 square meters, displays items related to the famed Shanxi merchants－or Jinshang merchants. Shanxi is known for its historical commerce that was developed by the Jinshang merchants. It is said Jinshang merchants dominated commercial circles in North China for about 500 years during the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties. Many of these successful merchants started out as small vendors. They made their fortune by selling goods like tea, silk and porcelain in regions as far away as Russia.