Shanxi Merchants Culture Museum

Shanxi Merchants Culture Museum

Located within the Qu Family Courtyard on East Street in Qi County, Shanxi Province. It was officially opened to the public on September 22, 1996, and is under the administration of the Qi County Cultural Relics and Tourism Bureau. The Qu Family Courtyard was originally built during the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty as the residence of the prominent Shanxi merchant Qu family. At that time, they owned 40 compounds in the county town, earning the nickname “Qu Half of the City.” The courtyard complex consists of the Stone Balustrade Courtyard, Five-Courtyard-Deep Passage Hall, Archway Courtyard, and Theater Courtyard, among others. These sections are arranged in an orderly and majestic fashion, featuring exquisite brick carvings, wood carvings, and stone carvings, rich cultural significance, and standing as an important representative of northern Chinese residential architecture.

The museum houses a collection of 400 cultural relics, with a focus on calligraphy and paintings, Ming and Qing furniture, and coins. The exhibits are divided into series such as “Overview of Shanxi Merchants,” “Famous Merchants,” “Tycoons,” “Acts of Patriotism,” “Highlights in the Business World,” “Shanxi Merchants and Shanxi Opera,” “The Qu Family,” “Shanxi Merchants’ Tea Houses,” and “Shanxi Merchants’ Escort Agencies,” spread across 49 exhibition rooms. Using artifacts, photographs, models, and sculptures, the displays systematically reveal the essence of Shanxi merchant culture and artistically recreate their glorious history. The museum also includes administrative offices such as the Office, Finance Department, Security Section, Conservation Department, and Public Relations Department. It has also served as a filming location for movies and TV dramas including “Changjinyuan Draft Bank,” “Yu Chenglong,” and “Longcheng in January.” In 2005, it was designated as a Provincial Patriotic Education Base by the Shanxi Provincial Party Committee and Government.

Further Reading:

· National Third-Class Museum of China