Millennium Trade Route: The Top 10 Business Rules of China's Major Commercial Clans

Author: Xiao Dong Liao
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-08-01
Features: Unveiling the mysteries of China's's century-long dominance, exploring the patterns for modern Chinese entrepreneurs to grow and thrive. Authentic Chinese-style business philosophy, authoritative practical business principles, realistic localized business warfare, successful Han Chinese business emperors. Twenty years ago, not reading Western management books was ignorance; twenty years later, still only reading Western management books is incompetence. — Li Dongsheng, Chairman of TCL In business, using Chinese methods to solve Chinese problems indeed yields twice the result with half the effort. — Zeng Shiqiang The "Chinese inclination" in management is an objective existence. — Niu Gensheng, Chairman of Mengniu Group What kind of management theory do Chinese enterprises really need? China doesn't need new Western management, nor even good Western business management experience. China needs management methods and theories that align with the laws of nature and the national conditions, and most importantly, suit its own actual circumstances. — Jiang Ruyang, Management Scholar Among Chinese business practitioners, too many people want shortcuts, and too many people try to be clever. — Zhang Ruimin, Chairman of Haier Chinese people emphasize collective wisdom and inductive reasoning in thinking, while Westerners value logical deduction and emphasize deductive methods. Chinese people prefer systematic thinking and enjoy theorizing, while Westerners place greater importance on practical operations and emphasize action. — Ye Ying, Global Vice President and Greater China Chairman of Kodak Business activities are social activities, and business awareness is a form of social cultural awareness. Entrepreneurs are part of society, and the traditional social ideologies of different countries differ and are difficult to change. This determines that if a businessman truly wants to grow and thrive, he must be rooted in his own culture, draw nourishment from tradition, and learn strategies from the successful practices of predecessors, thereby becoming a truly localized entrepreneur. There is no doubt that only by localizing first can one succeed, and only after success can one talk about internationalization. Fortunately, the Chinese nation is a country with a very profound traditional business culture. Historically, there were many wealthy and powerful merchants and merchant guilds that dominated the region for hundreds of years. Their wisdom and strategies in business were vast and inexhaustible, leaving endless treasures for later generations to draw upon. Their historical role in social transformations was no less than that of great politicians, military strategists, and thinkers. Karl Marx pointed out in The Capital that: "A society cannot do without merchants, especially in modern times. Merchants, goods, and commercial capital are positive forces driving social development. Merchants can exist in any tiny of society, creating a vast space for their activities. This tenacious vitality, when appropriate opportunities, will burst into vigorous life, and at a certain historical period, merchants can exert overwhelming influence." This statement perfectly interprets the development history of China's merchant guilds. Let us follow the rise and fall of the ten greatest merchant guilds in history, explore the secrets of their century-long dominance, and uncover the laws for modern entrepreneurs to grow and thrive.