What is the mystery of the rise of the Xizhou business gang in Dali when the nation is in danger?

1840 The Qing Dynasty * * signed the treaty of nanking, which humiliated the country, and 190 1 year signed the Xin Chou Treaty. During the hundred years when China was completely reduced to a semi-colonial and semi-feudal society, the abnormal national capital could not compete with it at all, but there were Xizhou commercial gangs and Heqing commercial gangs in the southwest border. What caused the contrast of this phenomenon? 1 Travel to Dali, Yunnan, and you may be attracted by the ancient Dali described by Mr. Jin Yong. But do you know there is another legendary place in Dali-Xizhou? Lao She said in the Collection of Short Stories in West Yunnan: "Xizhou Town is a miracle. I don't remember seeing such a decent town in any remote place in China. Walking into the town is like being in Cambridge, England, and flowing water is everywhere along the street ... "When I came to Xizhou, I had to go and see the Yan Family Courtyard. Yan family is one of the four major families in Dali. There is a local saying that describes the Yan family's wealth-"more money piles up into mountains, and more money rusts into lumps." It is said that the assets of Yan's heyday are converted into the current algorithm, reaching 5-6 billion. Yan, Dong and Yin and Yang families reached their peak in economic strength from the late Qing Dynasty to the Republic of China. We have branches in Dali, Kunming, Chongqing and even Hong Kong. Business is exported to Southeast Asia and all parts of the country through the ancient tea-horse road. Yunnan, the courtyard of Yan Jia, is located in the border of the motherland. It stands to reason that the land is vast and sparsely populated, and its economic strength and productivity are obviously lower than that of the Central Plains. Coupled with the rugged mountain road, ships can't pass, and the environment is extremely difficult. So, what made this small town usher in a century of glory? The rise of Xizhou commercial gangs is inseparable from the geographical environment. It is Yunnan, located in the southwest border. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, there was a period of separation from the central government. In the face of Yunnan's difficult and unusual environment, local officials who came to Yunnan have appealed to the court and demanded to adjust Yunnan's commercial tax. In the second year of Qianlong, Qing * * * ordered Yunnan, Qujing, Yuanjiang, Dali, Chuxiong and Yongchang to enrich the people in the name of land tax, except for regular tax and new tax ... they should be cut together. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the central and local governments realized the difficulties faced by Yunnan's economic development, so they reduced or exempted taxes one after another, which played a certain role in promoting and protecting Yunnan's economic development. In the 1940s, War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression broke out, and Yunnan was in the rear area, which was relatively less affected by the war. Although remote, in the period of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, the "Shucan Road" started from Shudi in the north, passed through Yu Ye (formerly known as Dali), passed Bonan (now Yongping), entered Xunchuan (now Baoshan and Dehong), and then went to Shen Du (India). The trade on this ancient road has a long history. At the same time, there are many markets in Dali, mostly concentrated near Xizhou. For example: Wanqiao Street, Dragon Street, Dog Street, Shangguan Street ... It is said that the dates of these markets are arranged according to the twelve branches. Xizhou is scheduled to go to the market at noon, Sunday and Sunday, which means that it will take four trips to the street in twelve days. The rise of Heqing and Xizhou commercial gangs is inseparable from geographical factors, but it is too simplistic to say that it is only geographical environment. In addition to geographical factors, the historical background of the rise of commercial gangs in the Western Zhou Dynasty was also very complicated. /kloc-At the beginning of the 7th century, British colonial forces established the East India Company in India, monopolizing India's commercial trade. By the19th century, India was completely colonized by India. In order to use Yunnan as a bridge connecting Myanmar and Chongqing, Britain plundered the whole southwest region and controlled the import and export trade of western Yunnan. Yunnan became a place where imperialism dumped goods into China, and Dali became a distribution center for Chinese and foreign materials. Of course, the merchants at that time also brought the products of imperialism back to China. Foreign yarn, cigarettes, clothing, kerosene, cosmetics, etc. They were all transported to Xiaguan, Dali. Transported to Kunming, Chongqing and other places, it became a tight commodity for a time. There is a saying in "Top Ten Trading Companies in China" at No.3 Sifang Street, Xizhou: "Trading companies take the region as the center, blood ties and nostalgia as the link, and mutual assistance as the purpose." Bai commercial group is mainly headed by Bai people, and is very close in blood and kinship because of intermarriage and marriage. Therefore, identity and affinity are easier to blend with each other than other ethnic groups, and it is easier to help each other in the process of doing business abroad. There are many stories about Western Zhou businessmen helping each other. The Yan family, the first of the four business gangs, reached its peak in Yan Zizhen's period. Yan Zizhen's fortune can be said to be inseparable from the help of fellow villagers. Yan Zizhen is not from a prominent family. He is the posthumous son of poor scholar Yang Ji, and his father died suddenly. Yan Zizhen had to live alone with her mother, and her economy was extremely tight. In order to lighten his mother's burden, he took a fancy to the unprofitable business of selling water. At that time, there was no well near the market in Xizhou. In order to keep vegetables fresh, vegetable vendors sprinkled water on them every once in a while. From this story, we can see that Yan Zizhen had a heart for doing business when he was a child. At that time, every family was not rich, and the vegetable vendor would not choose to buy his water himself, partly to save himself trouble and partly to see his pity and help. By 1903, Yan Zizhen had a joint venture of more than 10,000 yuan with Yang Hongchun, a Bai businessman from Xizhou, and Peng Yongchang, a businessman from Jiangxi, and opened a "Yongchangxiang" firm. It can also be seen that Yan Zizhen can't get rich without friends and fellow villagers. In addition to these stories about Yan Zizhen in Bai areas, Yan Zizhen's portrait in Yanjia Courtyard is also recorded. In A Brief History of Yongchang Xiang, Mr. Yang Kecheng, the third son of Yan Zizhen, once said: "The shareholders of Yongchang Xiang are almost all Yan Yangjia and his relatives and friends in Xizhou." The whole white area is closely related to this business gang. Several big families in the business gang are married. Politically and economically, they are interdependent and mutually supportive. There are four big families, eight middle families and twelve small families (there are 120 small enterprises in the later period) in Xizhou commercial gang. And these, in fact, are all headed by four families, which are very close. Fellow countrymen, kin, blood relatives, attaching importance to feelings and keeping promises have worked hard for generations. Bai's business gang finally took root and sprouted in that complicated era and remote place, and continued to grow and develop, achieving a short century of glory. Yanjia Courtyard-rich, perhaps because of this in-laws, blood relationship, clan relationship, Xizhou business gang has never forgotten the hometown where it grew up. They have returned to their hometowns to repair bridges and pave roads, open warehouses and granaries, and build houses and buildings. Xizhou Middle School, Shuchuan Girls' Primary School, Xizhou Normal School and Cangyi Library were all built by Xizhou Commercial Group. In addition, there is a midwifery class in Xizhou, which was donated to Xijiao Hospital and Institute of Pathogens of Donglu University. Set up scholarships, donate books at schools, and run power plants in partnership. During the Anti-Japanese War 1 10 Hospital was stationed in Xizhou during the Anti-Japanese War in western Yunnan. Food, clothing, housing and transportation are provided by Xizhou Commercial Group. Dong Chengnong, the boss of Xi Qing Xiang, donated a plane at the most difficult time in War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression. This behavior of Xizhou business gang promoted the development of local education and medical care. At the same time, it also has a strong influence on local concepts. Mr Rolf Chow said, "The fundamental purpose of most children going to school is to learn to read and write, so as to do business better in the future. The concept of commercial interests has a great impact on local traditional concepts, and it also makes major businesses not lack talents. " "Records of the Western Zhou Dynasty" records: "All firms, shops and dealers can identify the authenticity, color and origin of their products by looking at them with their eyes, smelling them with their noses and weighing them with their hands. It takes a long time for professionals who know how to process goods, from apprentices to upper management talents. Foreign trade also needs talents who are familiar with the languages of various countries. Yan Zizhen often said: "Money is the father of doing things, and it is the mother of doing things." It can be seen that the Yan family attaches importance to talents. The rise of Bai business gangs is extremely rare in China minority areas. Zhang Xilu, Institute of Bai Culture of Dali University, said: "The whole modern industrial foundation of Yunnan Province can be said to have been laid by Bai businessmen. In Kunming, spinning mills, soap factories, light bulb factories, electricity, minerals and metallurgy are all done by Dali people. " In fact, the secret of the success of Bai Shang Gang is, in the final analysis, the rich national culture and the long-standing business tradition. Honest and trustworthy, pay attention to business ethics, and attach importance to the cultivation of talents in the later development. At that time, the old house in Yan Jia in the Western Zhou Dynasty became a museum. Here, you can't see the magical Six-pulse Excalibur, and you can't see the legendary Dali Duan Yu. But you can hear the history of the rise and fall of white merchants in the past hundred years. When I came to Sancha, a Bai nationality, I experienced a life philosophy of "one bitter, two sweet and three aftertaste". Reference: Analysis and research of Xizhou and Heqing commercial gangs in Dali area, Xizhou annals, a brief history of Yongchang incense, archives and Dali memory, a famous town in China ● Xizhou, Yunnan, a study on the economic changes of Yunnan caravan. Today's recommendation book: Shaxi, the only market on the ancient tea-horse road, has found a lot of information, but most of them are academic and boring to read. If you are interested in the ancient tea-horse road, you can read the book Shaxi, the only market on the ancient tea-horse road. It is an illustrated travel book, which is easy and interesting to read. I'm koi fish Xiaoxian. I only recommend reliable books I have read. Please pay attention to me if you don't have time to read. (Some pictures originated from the Internet and have been deleted.)