The ticket number is also known as “Ticket Bank”, “Exchange Bank” and “Exchange Bank”. It is a financial credit institution mainly engaged in foreign exchange business in the later period of China’s feudal society. The ticket number is a product adapted to the development of commodity trade and the expansion of currency circulation. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, inter-regional commercial settlements mostly relied on “guard bureaus” to transport cash, which was not only unsafe, but also a waste of resources.
Afterwards, I found that it is safer and more economical to use the branches established in various places to handle foreign exchange. Therefore, during the Qianlong and Jiaqing years, Shanxi merchants used their own firms and branches to carry out remittance business, and took the lead in changing from a title business to a franchise. The earliest bank number was “Rishengchang” in Pingyao, Shanxi, founded in 1821. After that, merchants from Pingyao, Qixian and Taigu counties succeeded to form the “Qi Taiping” three gangs. At this time, there was a situation in which Shanxi people monopolized a major emerging industry, commonly known as “Shanxi ticket number”. Its main business is the exchange of inter-port trade. Later, he also handled the public funds exchange, deposit and loan business of the government and officials. The business scope covers the whole country, as far as Southeast Asia and Europe. When Shanxi’s ticket number was the most developed, there was a saying that “the handsome and handsome children will enter the commerce and trade”, which surprised Emperor Qianlong.
Shanxi Bank’s capital was initially converted from commercial capital, joint venture or sole proprietorship. After this, there are also bureaucrats or comprador businessmen.
Shanxi Bank had close ties with the Qing government. Especially after the 1850s, Shanxi ticket numbers were used by the Qing government to remit military salaries and other funds, handle foreign exchange funds, and manage internal foreign exchange for foreign trade, which once became an important financial pillar of the feudal economy. After the Opium War, foreign banks were established, and each province set up its own official bank account and bank, which made the bank account lose its public funds business. After the Revolution of 1911, the Qing Dynasty collapsed, the deposit of the ticket number was withdrawn, the loan could not be recovered for a while, and the turnover was difficult.