Poor Government, Rich Merchants

The China Chamber of Commerce Museum was established at the former site of the Pingyao Chamber of Commerce. The original site was the Huiyuanyong Draft Bank of Pingyao. In the third year of Xuantong (1911), the Pingyao Chamber of Commerce purchased it as its headquarters. After liberation, the Chamber of Commerce was reorganized into the Federation of Industry and Commerce. In 2002, the privately-run China Chamber of Commerce Museum was established. The Huiyuanyong Draft Bank was opened by Qu Yuanchao of Qi County in the seventh year of Guangxu (1881), and the manager was Duan Qixiang of Wenshui. The head office was located in Pingyao County, with branches in Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Hankou, Xi'an, Sanyuan, Changsha, Changde, Chengdu, and other places. It closed down in the eleventh year of Guangxu (1885). The former site is a typical Ming and Qing style three-courtyard compound, a large residence with a back courtyard, covering an area of nearly 1,000 square meters. It is divided into four parts: the street-facing shopfronts, the outer courtyard, the inner courtyard, and the back courtyard. The polished blue bricks, carved beams and painted rafters, and the exhibition content of this site all demonstrate a high level of professionalism, showcasing the architectural characteristics of Pingyao Ancient City. This is the only China Chamber of Commerce Museum in the country approved by the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce. It is a comprehensive private museum with the historical changes of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce as its main theme, the management culture of the Chamber of Commerce as its core, and the connection of people from all walks of life in industry and commerce as its link. The museum displays the history of chambers of commerce from the late Qing Dynasty to the Republic of China with detailed, precious, and rich historical documents, pictures, and artifacts. The first exhibition room provides an overview of Chinese chambers of commerce; the second introduces the prehistory of Chinese chambers of commerce; the third introduces the establishment of Chinese chambers of commerce in the late Qing Dynasty; the fourth introduces the development of chambers of commerce during the Republic of China; the fifth and sixth exhibition rooms introduce the functions of chambers of commerce; the seventh is the Guandi Hall; the eighth introduces the Shanxi General Chamber of Commerce and the Pingyao County Commercial Branch; the ninth is the Chamber of Commerce meeting hall; the tenth introduces the Chinese Chamber of Commerce going global; and the eleventh introduces the reorganization of the Chamber of Commerce into the Federation of Industry and Commerce after the founding of the People's Republic of China. The museum also houses a large collection of precious artifacts and historical materials, such as the "Double Dragons Carrying Fortune" totem screen, the "Floor-standing Dressing Mirror," and the "Redwood Wealth and Honor Screen," all of which are important components of chamber of commerce culture. The plaque "Protect the Country and Support Commerce" is a high-level summary of the purpose and function of the chamber of commerce.