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| The residences of Lijia Village in Qikou Town were built during the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) Dynasties by members of the Li family. The entire architectural array stands against the loess hills by the Yellow River. The preserved bricks, wood, stone carvings and elaborate inscribed boards are all of great value. Today the village comprises more than 220 households and 400 cave-houses. by Zhang Kaixin |
Boasting one of the largest commercial docks along the Yellow River, Qikou served as a transit point for Shaanxi Province, Gansu Province, the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region and the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region to the west, while also connecting the three cities of Taiyuan, Beijing and Tianjin in the east. And so Qikou earned the designation "No.1 Town by the Yellow River."
The small town developed and became increasingly important as a ferrying point, and people of the region began to relocate there to engage in business based on transportation by water and land. Young and strong men became boat trackers and boatmen. Some of the wealthier became ship-owners or raised camels, which they would rent to overland trade caravans. The number of hostels, restaurants, biaoju (professional firm furnishing armed escort) and storehouses steadily grew and the town continued to expand.
In the course of that growth, many of the more prosperous Shanxi businessmen opened piaohao (China's earliest banking firm for the exchange and transfer of money) and retail stores in town. The businessmen of Qikou were known for their adherence to a standard business ethic: honest dealing. Along with the accumulation of capital, other important Qikou Town industries developed. For instance, the growing and processing of tobacco rose to prominence during the reign of Qing-Dynasty Emperor Guangxu (1875-1908).
