Shanxi-Shaanxi Merchants, Bangzi Opera and the Cult of Guan Gong on the Lu Canal in the Ming and Qing Dynasties

Regarding the Grand Canal from Beijing to Hangzhou, it was not only a transportation route for transporting grain from the south to the north, commercial travel, and water conservancy irrigation, but it was also a cultural belt that integrates the diverse regional cultures of Qi-Lu, Yan-Zhao, Chu-Han, Huai-Yang, and Wu-Yue. Over the span of five and a half centuries, merchants from Shanxi and Shaanxi exerted a profound influence along the canal during the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1912). Taking the Lu Canal, also known as Huitong River in Shandong as a research thread, this paper explored the cultural and commercial activities of Shanxi and Shaanxi merchants who established guild halls, set up theatres, and worshipped the God of Guan along the canal during the Ming and Qing dynasties. These activities not only facilitated the spread of the clapper theatre, but also promoted the widespread inheritance of the worship of Guan Gong, further consolidating the cultural influence of the Shanxi and Shaanxi merchant clans. By studying these phenomena, this paper revealed how Shan-Shaanxi merchants connected commerce and culture through guild culture, enriching the social and cultural heritage along the Lu Canal.