There was a ceremony for the publication of "Datong Merchant Spirit", a new book on the history of the merchants of Shanxi province, in the city of Datong, Shanxi, on Jan 17.

The book is the work of Zhang Fu, head of the municipal commerce association, who took two years to compile the material, with the idea of continuing the merchant spirit of the business people of Datong.

The book of more than 700,000 characters is a record of the stories of more than 200 people involved in commerce in Datong, going back to the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC- 24 AD) to provide a comprehensive look at the advanced practices of the Jin (short name for Shanxi province) merchants.

Edited by Roger Bradshaw