During the Qing Dynasty, the Chang family was the largest and most successful trader of Chinese tea on the international market. The Changs grew their tea on plantations in southeast China's Fujian Province, and sold it to Mongolia and Russia. At its height, the family employed 1000 people to process tea leaves and had over a dozen shops. At that time, tea trading represented 94 percent of the Sino-Russian trading, and the Chang family occupied 40 percent of this market share.

The Chang family's success and wealth is evident at their stunning manor in the town of Yuci, in Shanxi Province. The Chang's Manor took 150 years to build and boasts many stone houses, walls, bridges and courtyards. Much of the manor was destroyed by war, but has been restored by the local government, and is now a major tourist attraction.

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)