Tongxinggong Escort Agency

Tongxinggong Escort Agency

Located at No. 105 South Street in the ancient city of Pingyao, Tongxinggong Escort Agency was founded in the fifth year of the Xianfeng reign during the Qing Dynasty (1855) by Wang Zhengqing from Nanliangzhuang, Pingyao. The exhibition hall is housed in a Ming Dynasty building and provides a comprehensive and systematic introduction to the entire history of Tongxinggong Escort Agency—from its establishment and development to its eventual closure—spanning from the Xianfeng period of the Qing Dynasty to the early years of the Republic of China. It also shares knowledge about the martial world of escort agencies.

In a narrow sense, an escort agency is a specialized institution that provides security for merchants and individuals.

An escort agency was a form of old-style insurance business that charged fees for transporting cash or valuable goods. By the mid-Qing Dynasty, with the rise of draft banks in Pingyao, the local business scene entered a golden age. The prosperity of the banking and commercial sectors inevitably led to the growth of another industry—escort services. You are now at the only remaining site of an old escort agency in Pingyao County: "Tongxinggong Escort Agency." First, let’s take a look at the character “镖” (biao). In the past, it referred to a type of weapon used by martial artists. Since those in the escort trade were often martial artists who frequently used this so-called “镖,” over time, the trade came to be known as an “escort agency.” After the advent of draft banks, we find this explanation even more fitting. Let’s break down the character: the radical “金” (gold/metal) represents the eighteen types of metal weapons used at the time, while “票” (draft/bill) stands for the money held in the draft banks. Together, they imply the use of force to escort silver—modernly speaking, using force to ensure the safety of money (akin to today’s security companies).

Accounting Office:

Most people in an escort agency were martial artists and not necessarily highly educated, but the accountant had to be proficient in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. In the past, such a person was called a “文牍先生” (literary clerk), equivalent to a university scholar today. Here, take a look at this abacus—the bottom is blocked by a piece of wood, symbolizing the shop owner’s hope that the clerk would keep everything in check and leave no room for error. The accountants of the time used the traditional Chinese “Four Pillar Clear Record” method for calculations. This method refers to: Old Balance + New Income – Expenses = Current Balance. Old Balance refers to the closing balance from the previous month; New Income is the amount earned in the current month; Expenses are the outlays for the month; and Current Balance is the remaining amount at the end of the month. Over here, you can see these two escort boxes—the one on the left is the oldest, and the one on the right is the heaviest. It’s made of elm wood and weighs over 100 jin (approximately 50 kilograms). You can try lifting the lid. Its lock uses an early type of hidden mechanism for theft prevention and requires two keys placed side by side to open, each held by the head manager and the deputy manager, ensuring mutual supervision. At the time, a single silver ingot of this size was worth 50 taels, equivalent to roughly three jin and six liang (about 1,800 grams or 3,600 yuan today), whereas ordinary copper coins required 100 pieces to equal one tael.

This escort agency operated from 1849 to 1913, providing escort services for 64 years. Wang Zhengqing, from Nanliangzhuang in Pingyao, started working in a Beijing noodle shop at the age of 16 due to poverty. He had extraordinary arm strength and was nicknamed the “Noodle King.” He apprenticed under Beijing’s spear master Liu Liu and, due to his exceptional aptitude, was recommended to study under Jia Diankui, the martial arts master of Emperor Daoguang. In other words, Wang Zhengqing and Emperor Daoguang were martial arts brothers. According to descendants, Wang Zhengqing once competed with the abbot of Henan’s Shaolin Temple and emerged victorious. The abbot wanted to become his student, but Wang said, “Your Reverence is the orthodox successor of Shaolin. Shaolin martial arts are renowned worldwide. If you were to become my student, I wouldn’t dare accept. But becoming close friends—that I’d gladly do.” From then on, they became close friends, and later, Master Haitong erected a stele in Shaolin Temple in honor of Wang Zhengqing’s virtue and skill.

Wang Shumao followed in his father’s footsteps and surpassed him. Due to industry taboos, Wang Zhengqing didn’t allow his son to practice martial arts, but Wang Shumao disliked studying and loved handling weapons. He had potential but lacked patience and ambition, which worried Wang Zhengqing. One day, while encountering his martial brother Li Huan by chance, Wang devised a way to motivate his son—by making him lose face in front of a crowd during a temple fair, spurring him to improve. As expected, after that lesson, Wang Shumao began pestering his father to teach him martial arts, vowing to master all eighteen forms of combat within three years. The only human escort mission he undertook was protecting Empress Dowager Cixi during her western escape. Over here, take a look at this bed—it’s truly one of a kind. Focus on the yellow color—it’s not gold powder but genuine gold leaf. It has a beautiful name: “Qing Phoenix Playing with Peony Canopy Bed.” “Phoenix Playing with Peony” symbolizes good fortune, and the canopy bed is a practical feature. With such a small doorway and a large bed, how was it brought inside? It could be assembled when in use and disassembled into small wooden blocks when not, similar to modern modular furniture. And this is what used to be the underground vault, connected to the backyard. Placing it in front of the bed signified peace of mind. Now, let’s go outside to see the main mode of transport back then—the escort cart. There were two types of routes for escort missions: waterways and land routes. Shanxi, being part of the Loess Plateau, had many rugged paths, so using a wheelbarrow was more practical. Because it had only one wheel, balance was hard to maintain. There was a trick to pushing it: “To make the escort cart move, wiggle your hips.” That meant you had to squat in a horse stance, lift your hips, and sway forward. If you’re interested, you can give it a try. Essential items for an escort agency included the escort cart, the escort box, and the escort flag. The flag displayed the surname of the escort master. It signaled that if you encountered bandits, you wouldn’t dare rob a convoy protected by a famous or skilled master. So, before attacking, they’d check the surname on the flag—and over time, it became the agency’s symbol. The flag’s yellow background represents Shanxi’s location on the Loess Plateau, the red characters signify hopes for a thriving business, and the blue border represents flowing water and continuous wealth. The name “Tongxinggong” also carries meaning. “Tongxing” (同兴) sounds like “Tongxin” (同心), meaning “of one heart,” with three implications: (1) unity among members, (2) harmony with clients, and (3) cooperation with officials. “Xing” (兴) means flourishing after success. “Gong” (公) implies a shared venture. Now, let’s continue.

This area was the opium room. While it’s not surprising to find one in a draft bank, it’s odd for an escort agency. The first rule of the agency was no opium use, but this room was for networking. Business tactics back then—some of which persist today—could be summed up crudely as “harming others without harming yourself; a tipsy client is an easy deal.” Much like treating clients to meals, giving cigarettes or alcohol nowadays. Over here, there’s a bronze birthday plaque gifted to Escort Chief Wang Zhengqing on his seventieth birthday by Hou Dianxuan, the third-generation manager of the first-ever draft bank “Rishengchang,” who acted as a nephew. It’s inscribed with “Nanjixinghui” (南极星辉), meaning “Radiance of the Southern Star,” symbolizing longevity. The patterns were carved with a knife, showing exquisite craftsmanship. These two “Duilingshuhua” (堆岭花绣) paintings are embroidered with cotton thread, creating a striking three-dimensional floral effect. On the opposite wall are two beauty-framed portraits. Try finding their feet—the right one is easier to spot near the red handle, and the left is by the bottom-left corner of the frame. Back then, beauty wasn’t judged by appearance alone but by “small feet and big heads,” with ideals like “three-inch golden lotus, four-inch silver lotus, five-inch copper lotus.” Feet over six inches (around size 35 today) were considered unmarriageable. Displaying these portraits wasn’t just decorative—they symbolized a family’s prosperity. Each woman is accompanied by a puppy, further emphasizing this.

This vat was used for firefighting in modern times, but in the past, it stood in the courtyard center. “A sea in front of the door brings daily wealth,” and adding fish meant “abundance year after year.”

This room was where the young apprentices kept night watch. As the saying goes, “Every family and every door has its rules.” This light green banner lists the Wang family’s house rules, warning disciples against bullying the weak, women, children, or even less-skilled martial artists. However, “those who dare rob our convoy shall be shown no mercy.” Now, let’s step outside.

Once outside, look up at the two plaques hanging from the eaves. Notice the top one, with yellow and blue inlays, reading “Fengzhi Yishu” (奉旨议叙)—a plaque bestowed by Empress Dowager Cixi upon the second-generation manager Wang Shumao. Observe its structure: normally, dragons (representing the emperor) are above, but here, the phoenix is above the dragon, symbolizing Cixi’s supreme power at the time. It bears four characters, but the first “Feng” (奉) is written small and to the side, making it seem like only three characters. Being Manchu, Cixi disliked the inauspiciousness of the number four (homophonous with “death”), so she moved the “Feng” aside. She also intentionally misspelled “Zhi” (旨) and “Xu” (叙). The “Zhi” character was written oddly—the top part should be “-” and “匕,” with “日” below, but she altered it, implying her status surpassed the sun. The “Xu” character was deliberately misspelled because, as a Manchu in Han territory, she felt writing proper Chinese characters would belittle her identity. Below is another horizontal plaque, “Qingyan Hualing” (庆衍花龄), gifted to the escort master who protected Cixi on her sixtieth birthday by various merchants and draft banks. “Qing” means celebration, “Yan” means flourishing longevity, and “Hualing” refers to sixty years of age. The small characters below list over fifty merchant and draft bank names.

The main hall was used to receive clients with large transactions—equivalent to today’s VIP lounge. Focus on the central chair—women typically couldn’t sit here due to its armrests. Women usually sat on corner chairs like this, and men generally didn’t sit here either. It was nicknamed the “Jiao Chair” (娇椅) in the martial world and reserved only for the leader. Behind it hangs a painting and a couplet. The painting is of Guan Yu, embodying loyalty and righteousness—values cherished by martial artists. The couplet reads: “A shout of ‘Ha Wu,’ and the convoy departs; half a year on the road, safe return.” The second line is self-explanatory—escort trips were tough, taking half a year round-trip. The first line’s “Ha Wu” (哈武) was a shout used to announce the convoy’s presence. It served both promotional and relationship-building purposes with local martial artists. There was an unwritten rule: “No shouting in Cangzhou.” Once, while passing through Cangzhou, Hebei, an inexperienced member shouted, sparking a martial dispute. After Wang Zhengqing triumphed, the story of “No Shouting in Cangzhou” spread. Over here is the actual spear used by Escort Chief Wang Zhengqing. Unlike typical white wax wood poles, this one was crafted from rattan wrapped in bamboo skin and linen—try shaking it; it’s highly flexible. His signature move was the “Phoenix Head” spear technique. This table was the main heating device in winter, with a bronze basin for charcoal in the center. In summer, the lid could be closed, making it dual-purpose. The offerings on the altar table—a clock, vase, and mirror—symbolize “lifetime peace” through their homophones. Now, let’s head upstairs.

The upper floor was originally a private chamber for internal martial arts practice—essentially a meditation room. This was the disciple and escort master of the second-generation manager, Wang Shumao—Liang Guoxuan. Though short and slim, he excelled in Baguazhang, often defeating opponents who underestimated him. The jargon of the martial world, known as “Chun Dian” (春点), is akin to today’s industry lingo. For example, if asked what you do for a living, a bodyguard couldn’t say, “I rely on my martial skills”—that would cause trouble. The proper reply was, “I rely on the Four Great Mountains.” What are they? “When friends visit, there are gold and silver mountains; I value friends as I do Mount Tai; meeting friends is like visiting Mount Liang.” Opposite is a replica of a fist technique created by Wang Zhengqing—Tongbi Quan (通臂拳). The originals are kept by his descendants. The first and second generations of agency leaders were Wang Zhengqing and Wang Shumao (portraits), while the third, Wang Zhi, is shown in a photo.

This was the agency’s Buddhist shrine, dedicated to Sakyamuni. As the saying goes, “Worship Buddha before setting out.” The agency prayed for safety before every mission. Feel free to pray if you’re Buddhist. Now, let’s visit the training ground.

This was the martial training area. The feeding trough was used for arm strength training—practitioners would push the food ball back and forth with both hands. This is the Taiji Yin-Yang Eight Trigrams diagram. The iron lock weighed fifty jin, and masters had to lift it overhead 100 times daily. These are the Seven-Star Plum Blossom Stumps, arranged according to the Big Dipper stars, used for horse stance and lightness training. Advanced practitioners used up to 49 uneven stumps, each over a person’s height.

Tongxinggong Escort Agency ceased operations mainly for three reasons: 1) the rise of railways and highways, along with guns, rendered carts and traditional weapons obsolete; 2) high costs—one tael per li (0.5 km) was uneconomical; 3) extreme danger—if a convoy was robbed, double compensation was required.

Address: No. 105 South Street, Ancient City of Pingyao, Jinzhong City

Type: Historical Monument & Architecture

Recommended Visit Duration: 0.5–1 hour

Phone: 0354-5687915

Ticket Information:

No separate ticket required. Included in the Pingyao Ancient City Pass: Peak season 120 yuan, off-season 90 yuan, valid for three days.