Daizhou people are struggling to start a business in Baotou

Daixian County in Shanxi Province was originally called Daizhou. Over the past 300 years, countless people from Daizhou have come to Baotou through hard work and hard work, creating the agricultural and commercial civilization of Xikou.
Daizhou Camp by the Boto River
During the Kangxi reign, Zhang Gui, a resident of Yan Village in Daizhou, Shanxi, came to the east bank of the Boto River in Baotou and rented land from the Babu family of the Mongolian ethnic group to farm. Later, the Daizhou people "went west" to seek refuge with "Xiangxiang" and settled here, forming a village named Daizhou Camp. Later, it was merged with Nanlong Wangmiao Village to form Donghe Village. Zhang Gui's tenth generation is Zhang 66 (Zhang Rong).
When the people of Daizhou settled on the east bank of the Boto River, it was difficult to cultivate due to the marshy land and overflowing water of the Boto River. Therefore, they rented the slopes of the Babu family and cleared 100 acres of land. Therefore, the ditch leading to the mountain is called Daizhou Gou. During the Jiaqing period, they used flood siltation and artificial filling methods to cultivate land and improve soil. By the Daoguang period, there were already 500 acres of clear water, 800 acres of flooded land, and over a thousand acres of dry land on the east bank of the Boto River. There are Yihe Garden, Xingwang Garden, Wanfu Garden, Yuanheng West, Hehetang, Tongrentang, Yuanheng Spring, Fuyi Garden, Luzheng Hall, and Ma Fenfang. More than 20 types of vegetables such as beans, cucumbers, eggplants, etc. are grown in clear water areas, yellow radishes, etc. are grown in flood prone areas, and yams, sorghum, millet, etc. are grown in dry land.
In 1949, Donghe Village had 213 households, with 500 acres of clear water, 900 acres of dry land, 800 acres of flood prone land, and over 2200 acres of arable land.
The Ten Thousand Water Springs of 'Pearls Surge'
The Wanshui Spring in Baotou was once one of the eight scenic spots in Baotou, known as the "Pearl Stream", and the earliest developer of Wanshui was Dai, a native of Daizhou. Wanshuiquan was once the mouth of the Yellow River (Shimen River) that flows into today's Kundulun River. Later, the west of Kundulun River shifted into a desert. In the fifth year of the Shunzhi reign (1648), the Qing government relocated the Urad tribe from the Hulunbuir grasslands to the south of the Beiyin Mountains on the Yellow River. Over 200 years ago, the Dai couple came here by "walking westward" and saw many water springs, so they rented land from Urad Donggong Banner to farm. According to Dai Qishi, a fifth generation member of the Dai family, in the third year of the Guangxu reign (1877), two springs in front of his house suddenly burst into a stream. At the end of the Qing Dynasty, Wanshuiquan had already opened eight major canals.
After several generations of hard work by the people who traveled to Xikou, the wheat ridges of Wanshuiquan were formed, and willows were planted into gardens. In 1933, the "Baoning Railway Construction and Plan" recorded: "From Wanshui Village to Baotou, there are many willow trees along the way, and the villages face each other. The scenery is not different from that of the mainland. There is a spring beside the road in the village, which is clear and pure, and the spring taste is very good. The customs and language are similar to those of rural farmers in Shaanxi, simple and polite, and have not yet changed the old national style.
Daizhou people dominate the old Baotou and travel to Mongolia
The earliest business that people from the "West Gate" came to Baotou engaged in was traveling to Mongolia, where they exchanged tea, cloth, hookah, and sugar for cattle, horses, camels, and sheep at the Mongolian settlement. However, the majority of people from old Baotou traveled to Mongolia, with the largest number of merchants and the longest operating years. The most famous business names include Fu Yixing opened by Liang Dahan, De Houyi opened by Kong Zhaoming, He Yilong opened by Li Hongying, De Taichang opened by Wu Yuelin, He Hejiu opened by Zhang Chang'an, Xinglongxi opened by Sunqiao, Fu Juchang opened by Zhang Rongkai, Tianyi Chang opened by Cao Qingheng, and De Chongxi opened by Zhang Ziqian. Daizhou people also run businesses such as Yuanshenghou, Fufang West, Tianjiuhe, Yishengdian, Ruyide, Tongxin Gong, Tongxin West, etc.
The travel to Mongolia in Baotou has almost become a world dominated by the people of Daizhou. Tongxing Gong has a history of more than 180 years. In the 29th year of the Daoguang reign (1849), the managers of Tongxing Gong were Feng Ji and Li Xuan. In today's Guyang, there is still half agriculture and half animal husbandry, hence the place name Tongxinggong. There are sub villages in Ulan Naobao. Tongxing West has established a village in Ulan Naobao to cultivate land, with over 3000 camels and a dividend of 8000 taels per share over the course of three years. Dechongxi has 8 houses in Wumeng and Outer Mongolia. At that time, sheep houses used 70 to 80 camels, horse houses used 50 to 60 camels, and fur houses used 150 to 60 camels. There were more than 800 camels in total, and there were 108 shop assistants. The horse house in Tianjiuhe can store over 600 horses annually. Therefore, the Daizhou people who traveled to Mongolia built large courtyards in Baotou, while Zhang Rong from Fujuchang had two courtyards on Qianjie. He Yilong's head of the household is wealthy and powerful, and he goes out in a camel pulled sedan with a long shaft and large wheels.
At that time, the Mongolian merchants from Baotou traveled about 3000 miles to Kulun, and traveled back and forth for 8 months to Uliastai (former camp), Kobdo (rear camp), and also traveled to Xinjiang, Ningxia, Lanzhou, Xining and other places. They set off at around 2pm every day and stayed until 10pm at night, sometimes walking all night. Regardless of wind, rain, ice and snow, they "ate friendly food and endured extreme hardships." "They swallowed countless hardships and drove cattle and horses to pull camels." They also often suffered from banditry. The people of Daizhou took one step at a time to create the prosperity of Baotou's travel to Mongolia.
Fuxinhe, one of the top ten Jin merchants in Baotou
During the reign of Emperor Guangxu, Li Wei, a native of Daizhou, Shanxi, came to Baotou to become an apprentice at the San Yuan He store. In 1913, Li Wei invested 3000 taels of silver to establish Helu Society Fuxin He. He Ludian mainly transports grain from Wuyuan, Linhe, Shanba and other places to Baotou through the Yellow River, and also deals in Jilantai salt, Ikzhao League natural alkali, Hebei Xingtang Tubu, Henan Qinghua hookah, etc.
In less than ten years since its establishment, the company has achieved a production of 100000 taels through arduous entrepreneurship. In 1919, Li Wei's younger brother Li Yan invested 8000 yuan to open the Fuxin Jiu grocery store. In 1930, Fuxin had a stock of 50000 stones of grain, one million pounds of salt alkali, 3000 tons of sugar, cloth, hookah, and tea, and 250 staff members. Li Yan is skilled in management and often says, "No shop without joy" and "No loss of money if sold. In 1934, a fire broke out in the Fuxinhe warehouse, burning 60000 yuan worth of goods. Fuxinhe compensated for the same amount. Fuxin and the business name existed until the establishment of the People's Republic of China.
Chongshantang, which pioneered the hydraulic industry
In the 25th year of the Daoguang reign (1845), Wang, a native of Daizhou, Shanxi, built the first water mill in Baotou on the western slope of the Boto River between Zhuanlongzang and Liubao Yaozi. The Boto River flows into the Yellow River through this area, where there is a perennial spring water. Every time it rains, there are mountain floods flowing in. Wang took advantage of the abundant water source and fast flowing water to introduce water mill technology from Daizhou to build a water mill, named Chongshantang, commonly known as the first water mill.
The water mill is 10 meters higher than the Boto River bed, and mountain spring water enters the water mill through a canal to wash a wooden wheel bucket, driving the stone mill. The water mill mainly produces edible oil. The water flowing out of the mill flows into the city walls of Baotou through the canal. There are lush vegetable fields to the south of the canal, and jujube trees with green leaves and red fruits are dotted on the slopes to the north of the canal. The sound of birds can be heard from deep valleys, becoming another scenic spot in Baotou.
The second shopkeeper of Chongshantang is named Wang Zheng. In 1895, Wang Jiqing, the son of Wang Zheng, changed the business name to Tongshengquan. Mainly processing fragrant noodles (ground from elm, apricot, peach and other trees) and selling them to local fragrant sandalwood societies. After Wang Jiqing's death in 1926, his third son Wang Zhihe took over and mainly processed wheat. In 1933, water mills mainly processed oilseeds. After the completion of Chongshan Hall, two, three, and four water mills were built downstream of its canal.
General Manager Liang Dahan
In the second year of the Daoguang reign (1822), the Fuyi Xing tourism in Baotou opened for business. During the Xianfeng period, Liang Dahan, a native of Shangqu in Daizhou, Shanxi, came to Baotou with his uncle Liang Mao at the age of 16 and became an apprentice in Fuyi Xing. He studied diligently and practiced hard, learned Mongolian language, and was able to write, which led to him becoming an accountant, general manager, and manager. During the reign of Emperor Tongzhi, Fuyi Xing reached its peak, with more than 120 staff members in the store. Liang Dahan also served as the general manager of Baotou. In the ninth year of Emperor Tongzhi's reign (1870), he was appointed as the general manager when the Baotou city wall was repaired.
Liang Dahan's management of Fuyi Xing had strict rules and regulations, and during winter when he slaughtered sheep in the market, he could only drink sheep offal. The funds of Mongolian merchants are not large, and they rely solely on careful budgeting and hard work. They often buy standard goods on credit from wealthy merchants in Baotou, borrow from fur and livestock shops, borrow from banks, or default on payments from Mongolian villagers. They always maintain their business with integrity and rely on their substantial provident fund to resist natural and man-made disasters. In the early years of Guangxu, Liang Dahan and Caidong had different opinions, resigned and went back to their hometown. Before leaving the Dongcheng Gate, he got off and knelt down and kowtowed to the gate. Fuyi Xing, a century old brand, did not collapse until 1946 due to the economic crisis under the rule of the Kuomintang.
Representatives from various industries and provinces have demonstrated their skills and abilities
The people of Daizhou, Shanxi have outstanding operators in the "Nine Rows and Sixteen Societies" in Baotou. The 'Nine Elements' are commercial guild organizations. The earliest traditional Chinese medicine establishment in Baotou, Fang Yonghezheng, has an advertising pillar written in Mongolian and Chinese at its entrance, and is familiar with Mongolian and Tibetan prescriptions. Its business has been thriving for over 200 years. The first household of Baotou fur industry, Guanghengxi, had the capital of Guo Duiyu, a native of Daizhou. The Yisheng store of the Grain and Oil Industry has multiple branches in Shanxi and Baotou, and its manager Zhang Zhiqing was once the president of the Baotou Grain and Oil Industry Association. Tongxin Cheng, founded by the people of Daizhou, mainly deals in jewelry, jade, coral, and agate. In less than a few years, it made a fortune and during the reign of Emperor Guangxu, it set aside 4000 taels of silver to open the Tongxin West Tour in Mongolia.
The guild organization of the "Sixteen Societies" handicraft industry. The felt houses opened by the people of Daizhou include Fuheng Yong, Juhe Cheng, Yonghe Cheng, Juhe Quan, Ruiyi Gong, Deyi Yong, Sisheng Cheng, etc. The dyeing house Yuanhengquan, established during the reign of Emperor Daoguang, used indigo dyed cloth produced by Fushengyuan and became famous outside the Great Wall. In 1915, Wang Shu, a resident of Daizhou, opened a carpenter's shop called Tongxin Chang, which is also a famous paint shop in Baotou. The painted furniture is unique. In Yishengquan Lane, Daizhou people opened the earliest copper shop in Baotou, producing various brass Buddha statues and five major offerings (2 incense barrels, 2 wax drills, and 1 incense burner). The white leather houses established by the people of Daizhou mainly process old sheepskin, July sheepskin, goat skin, dog skin, including Fu Shengcheng, Yuan Shengkui, Song leather houses, etc. Ma Xiushan, a member of the footwear industry, has established companies such as Fu Qingcheng, Fu Xingcheng, and Fu Xingju. Ma Xiushan has also served as the president of the footwear industry charity club. There are countless representatives from various industries who created the commercial civilization of Xikou.
Daizhou Society hangs a plaque at the Guandi Temple
After the Shanxi people who came to Baotou, they formed a community according to their hometown, and the people from Daizhou formed the Daizhou community. In the 29th year of the Daoguang reign (1849), when Longquan Temple was rebuilt, the Daizhou community donated five taels of silver. Daizhou Society adheres to the spirit of "making friends when going in and out, helping each other, and assisting each other when sick", and makes a living outside the mouth. There is a leader in the society, and every year on May 5th, the Society Day is celebrated at the Guandi Temple.
The Guandi Temple in Baotou was built during the Qianlong period and was a place where people from the "West Gate" worshipped the gods. In 1943, the Baotou City Chamber of Commerce was re elected, and Hou Fu, a clerk at Du Houhuozhuang, the chairman, took over as the manager of the Fusheng West Branch, Zhao Guorui. The representative of Daizhou Society, Zhang Dashan and others, brought the plaque of "Guan Di Sheng Jun" to the Guan Di Temple and removed the original hanging "Mi Gui Dao Sample" and replaced it with the plaque of "Guan Di Sheng Jun", which shows the prestige of Daizhou Society. In 1945, after the surrender of the Japanese army, various Shanxi communities in Baotou formed the Shanxi Fellow Association Council, mainly to help "Xiangxiang" settle in Baotou, find employment, and assist fellow villagers in difficult living conditions.
Author Zhang Gui (Professor of History at Inner Mongolia University of Science and Technology)