Chang's Family: Setting up stage in the year of natural disaster

In 1887, the central part of China, including Shanxi, Shaanxi, Henan, and Hebei Provinces , experienced its most severe drought in 300 years, with Shanxi at the center of the disaster. The drought lasted for three years. According to historical documents, one-third of Shanxi's population died in the drought.

Of course Shanxi merchants could not escape from this disaster. Like other merchants groups, the Chang family also suffered from economic loss. The Chang's dealt in tea trade with Russian merchants. Normally they carried tea to the border of China and Russia from the southern part of China.

During the drought, people had to eat tree bark and grassroots to survive because there were no crops at all during that time. There was also nothing to feed livestock, meaning the merchants were unable to organize their transport team with livestock. In those years, the Changs' tea export declined from 200,000 dan to 8,000 dan (a weight unit "dan" eaquals 50kg) every year, from which we could estimate their severe loss.

To survive the disaster, the Changs tried hard to overcome the difficulties. They pinched and saved, cutting down the spending. However, surprisingly, Chang's declared their intent to set up a stage in their ancestral temple with a budget of 30,000 taels (a tael is roughly worth 38 grams of silver).

Actually, this was not to show their wealth in the difficulty, but to find an excuse to help the local people. To help the local people, the Chang said, "As long as you move even one brick for us, we will pay you with meals."

The Chang's believed that it was not honorable to fish for fame and compliment; therefore they hid their virtue under the excuse of setting up the stage. They only wanted to save local people's life, as well as their dignity. The Chang's s project lasted for three years, the drought's duration. Who could tell how much price the Chang's paid in that period?

 Rishengchang: The faith and honesty in the troubled times

In 1900, foreign invaders occupied Beijing. Most of the royal relatives and powerful aristocrats fled in a flurry to Xi'an with Emperor Guangxu. Because of the haste, they could only bring their draft books with them, rather than gold or silver. On arrival at Shanxi, they all went to draft banks to redeem into taels.

Page:

1

2