The Relationship between Shanxi Merchants and Spatial Structure in Yuncheng Ancient City, China

Against the backdrop of growing international emphasis on the sustainable development of cultural heritage, case studies of historic cities offer valuable insights for the preservation and utilization of cities with diverse cultural and natural contexts. This study focuses on Yuncheng Ancient City in Shanxi Province, utilizing historical literature review and field investigation data to examine its spatial structure across different periods. The analysis includes an exploration of the city’s locational factors, changes in its buildings, roads, and their interrelationships before and after the emergence of the Shanxi merchants, as well as the underlying causes of these changes. The findings reveal that Yuncheng was constructed primarily for the administration of salt production, with its spatial structure evolving to support this purpose. Although government policies facilitated the entry of the Shanxi merchants into Yuncheng, their influence on the city’s development was minimal. Instead, the establishment of public facilities significantly enhanced the welfare of local residents. These findings clarified that in Yuncheng, the Shanxi merchants represented a temporary socio-economic phenomenon aligned with governmental policies, while the city itself was fundamentally shaped by government-led salt production and administration.