Businessmen have played a crucial role in Chinese commerce. They have both contributed greatly to its development and written extensively about their achievements. Typical of these are the houses to be found in Shanxi Province, which are representative of the wealth attained by the Shanxi Merchants. The larger of these mansions are the Chinese equivalent of the English castle or the French chateau.

It is no surprise to learn that a country with a continuous 5000-year-old civilization should be blessed with a number of historic houses as well as its fine heritage of imperial, religious and civic buildings. One of predominant among these wealthy businessmen is the Cao family. The Cao family business owned more than 640 firms and had 37,000 employees. It had an estimated worth of 12 million taels of silver, the tael being a unit of currency used in traditional China. The business had branches and connections in Japan, Moscow, Paris and London. A visit to the Cao Compound will give you insight into their extraordinary achievements.

When people first saw the Cao compound, they were astonished to find that the complex was so large and magnificent. It occupied an area of 10,638 square meters (about 12,723 square yards). It is characteristic of its noble, simple and unpretentious construction. The Cao compound is built around three large courtyards, which connect three, 3-tiered, 17-meter (about 18.6 yards) high buildings that house a total of 277 rooms. These structures are in the architectural style of Ming Dynasty, Qing Dynasty, and the Republic of China (1912-1949). The Compound is also noted as Sanduo Hall. Sanduo meaning three mores: more good fortune, more longevity and more children. It is one of the amazing pieces ofn national treasure from the Qing Dynasty. The Cao Compound is very popular with tourists because of its unique appearance and charming style.
Transportation: People can take a coach from Taiyuan Jiannan Bus Station to Taigu County, and then transfer a bus to Qi County to Beiguang Village. Walking for about 15 minutes or taking a taxi, people can get the Cao Compound.

Located at No. 105 in Nan Dajie, it was established in 1823 in the reign of the sixth Qing Emperor and was the first draft bank in China. It was China's forerunner for an organized finance system, handling remittance, money exchange, deposit, loan and other business.

Li Daquan was a man who, in the late 18th century, opened a small dye shop. He prospered as his business grew and soon opened many more shops in many more places. He expanded his market far away into other provinces. In order to insure the proper collection of profits from all of the branches, he introduced a system of checks and deposits. The Pingyao office soon became the company's financial agent and would subsequently do the same for other businesses, individuals, and, eventually, even the Qing government.

For more than 100 years, the bank prospered and at its height, it had 57 branches around China. The Japanese invasion and civil strife during the early 20th century, along with the ever-increasing competition from foreign banks, eventually caused the banks decline and closure. When traveling through Pingyao, a trip to the Rishengcheng Financial House Museum is not to be missed.

Pingyao is famous for its lanes and streets, which date from antiquity. The city's main drag is Ming and Qing Street, also called Nan Dajie. It is one of the best places in which to explore ancient Chinese culture.

With a length of 440 meters, Ming and Qing Street was the commercial center of ancient Pingyao. Dotted with memorial archways and decorated gateways, stretching one after another, high and low, the old houses and courtyards flanking the streets and lanes remind visitors of a time long ago. It is also possible to travel through the streets in the appropriate style by taking a rickshaw ride.

In the middle of the Ming and Qing Street is the Market Tower. 18.5 meters in height, it is the highest building in the city. One can see over the tiled roofs of the entire city from the top.

Temple of the City God, situated on Nan Dajie, was first built in the Northern Song Dynasty. This temple is a fine example of the deeply rooted religious and cultural traditions this country. Buddhism, Taoism and local customs have been combined into one.

Covering an area of 7,302 square meters, Temple of the City God is made up of Liucaofu, Tuditang, Zaojunmiao and Caishenmiao. The Tuditang (Hall of the City God) is the principal building. Four courtyards set on a north-south axis, together with the buildings that compliment them, have been maintained in good condition and each serves a specific purpose. Altogether there are forty-eight figures in the temple, all with vivid and lifelike facial expressions.

The buildings of the Temple are exquisite. The architectural style is Taoist, involving the use of blue and green tiles. The walls are decorated with fine realistic paintings in a true Chinese style.