As a famous city with a long history in Shanxi, Taigu is also one of the birthplaces of Shanxi merchants. After the rise of the eight famous Shanxi imperial merchants in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, Taigu became one of the most important financial centers in China. Shanxi has always had the folk song of "Jin Taigu, Yin Qixian, Tong Pingyao". During the Republic of China, Taigu was even known as "China's Wall Street".
Modern Taigu County
As a city with a long history, profound culture and extremely developed commerce, Taigu County has naturally produced countless celebrities who have influenced China and even the world. . Kong Xiangxi
Although Kong Xiangxi’s reputation in the Republic of China and modern times was not good, or even bad, this did not affect Kong Xiangxi’s significant impact on modern Chinese history. Kong Xiangxi was born in Chengjiazhuang, Taigu City, Shanxi Province in 1880 into a family that was both Confucian and businessman. He is also the 75th generation descendant of Confucius.
Kong Xiangxi
Kong Xiangxi attended a private school and a church school. He even studied in the United States and graduated from Yale University in the United States. Kong Xiangxi participated in the Revolution of 1911 in his early years. In 1914, in Japan, 34-year-old Kong Xiangxi married 25-year-old Song Ailing. Song Ailing is the eldest sister of the three famous Song sisters.
Kong Xiangxi and Song Ailing
After returning to China, Kong Xiangxi first ran a school and did business in Taigu, Shanxi Province. In 1924, he went to Guangzhou to serve as the director of the Department of Finance of the National Government. After the rise of Chiang Kai-shek, Kong Xiangxi, who became brother-in-law with Chiang Kai-shek, successively served as Minister of Industry, Minister of Finance, Executive Dean, and President of the Central Bank in the Kuomintang government. He had a prosperous official career and became the person Chiang Kai-shek relied on most in terms of finance.
Kong Xiangxi and Chiang Kai-shek
Kong Xiangxi was in charge of the National Government's finances for 11 years and made certain contributions to the National Government's financial system and currency reform. But at the same time, accusations of corruption have always followed Kong Xiangxi. Moreover, along with Kong Xiangxi's prosperous official career, there was also his growing wealth. The Kong family was even known as the richest man in China.
Maybe he was not good at running the country, but Kong Xiangxi was definitely good at making money. Finally, under the pressure of public opinion, Chiang Kai-shek was forced to remove him from office. In 1947, Kong Xiangxi, who had no hope of coming back, left Shanghai for the United States. In 1967, he died of illness in the United States. Bai Juyi
Bai Juyi, the famous poet and king of poetry in the Tang Dynasty, was also born in Taigu, Shanxi. I believe any Chinese is familiar with Bai Juyi. Bai Juyi is famous for his diverse and easy-to-understand poems. He has always been known as the "Poetry Demon" and the "Poetry King". Bai Juyi's poems and songs such as "Song of Everlasting Sorrow", "Charcoal Seller", "Pipa Play", "Farewell to the Ancient Grass" are even more popular and can be called household names.
Cheng Wang, the founder member of Bai Juyi's bank account Huitong Tianxia's Shanxi merchant bank account, can be called one of the symbols of Shanxi merchants. As the prototype of modern banking, it profoundly influenced Chinese business during the Qing Dynasty. As for the ticket account, this can be called a great initiative, which was first created by the Shanxi merchant Zhichengxin ticket account.
The boss of the ticket account Zhichengxin? and the founder of the ticket account is named Yuan Chengwang, who is from Taigugouzi Village, Shanxi. In the twelfth year of Emperor Kangxi's reign in the Qing Dynasty, Yuan Chengwang founded the Zhichengxin Bank in Taigu. It is said that the name of the bank was in memory of Li Zicheng. In the 18th year of the reign of Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty, Zhichengxin began to handle exchange business for the public, and since then created a bank account for Shanxi merchants to communicate with the world.
Huitong Tianxia
Other ancient celebrities include Zhao Tieshan, a calligrapher known as a pen in North China; Du Runsheng, the father of rural reform; Mencius's mother, who moved three times to Meng Mu; Li Sizhao, a great figure in the Five Dynasties and later Tang Dynasty, etc.