The Great Qing's Shanxi Merchants

How many elm trees can there be on the mountain? Strip away all their bark, and the elms will die. A ruined village, a broken house, half the people fleeing. Where can one cry out to the heavens, a thousand miles away?

Set against the broader social backdrop of the late Qing and early Republic, the story follows Shanxi merchants as they make their way in business, from brewing liquor to silk, banking houses, tea routes, and escort agencies. It portrays the merchants’ unyielding spirit while exploring the hardships faced by people in every trade during the late Qing.