Olden Armed Escorting Services - Pingyao

The armed escort called in Chinese as Biao-hang （镖行）, was early kind of security cooperation in China. Main business was to escort money for business men trading between distance places. They also accepted other jobs like guarding the shops and courts, handling small scheme of money exchange plus delivery service for mails or documents. Armed escort services gradually faded from Chinese history after Qing kingdom perished. The Museum of Armed Escort Services provides a good reference for research of China's economic development in history.



The earliest armed escort company began in Qianglong period in Qing Dynasty. The Xinlong Armed Escort （兴隆镖行）established by a Shanxi gongfu master Zhang-Heiwu （张黑五）, was the first company that offered such services. Followed by the development of Chinese economy, more and more armed escort organization joined in the trade.



The first Museum of Armed Escort in North China is the first and perhaps the only one that comprehensively illustrate the history and culture of the armed escort trade including its organization, operation, management and its evolution. The armed escort services though are now replaced by modern police and security organization, they undoubtedly did a great contribution to the development of Chinese modern commercial market. It provided social stabilization at that time.



A normal armed escort organization normally comprised of 3 courts. Front court was the sales and business department with cabinet houses on east and west side while the back court was normally served as a living area where they stayed and did their daily training or practices. The ancestral hall for their master or teacher was always placed at the back court for worship and respect.



Their administration office was at the central court, with an accounts department and a communication hall for letters and mails. The central hall was the main structure at this courtyard.



Apply theory of an axle to make wheels for carriages had been long time discovered by ancient Chinese.



Two wheels wooden cart was the main carriage armed escorts used to escort their valuable cargo from one place to another. Carts team were always come with an identified flag that represented the service company.



Some carts were with only one wheel. Man power were extensively used to handle or transport the carriages.



When members of Armed Escort Service Company were in duty on road, they carried with them various weapon, ensuring that the cargo was effectively protected and arrived destination safely. The carriage team came along with a striking flag openly showing their identification to avoid unnecessary trouble.



Displayed in the Exhibit hall, is an Official acknowledgement written slip of payment received for services, a list of categories in Chinese martial arts and details of the secret codes escorting team used in the market, which are of great interest to many visitors.



Illustration of various secret weapons used at that period and a practicing site in the courtyards.



The two characters that all escorting members must have were expressed by these two complicated Chinese words （顺天行道。忠义）.. One means following the natural way to go for the path while the other means royal and faithful. Armed Escort members emphasized much on physical practices. The rhythm written there was about the right way for fitness and the illustration showing blood vessel and nerves was from Huangdi Nei Jing （皇帝内经）, a very famous ancient book about how the five elements work in our body to ensure a good health.



The ancient methods of medical treatment for injuries （疗伤法）



An illustration of our body's ac-meridian points and how do the 5 elements (metal, wood, water, fire and earth) interact and reflect in the representing organs of  our body.



Series of postures in defensing martial arts delivered down generations to generations from 6th century by an Indian Dyana Batuo （达摩祖师） and his two disciples who were also expert in martial art.



Picture image of Batuo also known as Buddhabhadra or Bodhi Dharma （达摩祖师）, an Indian Dyana master who came to China to spread the teachings of Buddha in year 464. He was the first abbot of China world famous Temple Shuolin-si which was built by an Emperor's order in year 495 for him to do his preaching. He attained achievement of enlightenment after facing the wall and meditated for nine years in Shuolin Temple. The Buddhist master was widely worship and respect by martial art masters in China.



The elegant Chinese calligraphy written with Dharma phrases extracted from Diamond Sutra sutra （金刚经）.



Introduction of an ancient standard banquet and its nine dishes course which if as stated should include nine bowls and nine plates of different dishes.



The 4 dish course of a traditional banquet covered 16 small plates plus 4 other kind of food containers, each served with 4 kinds of food in different cooking, which means there were a total of 32 dishes in the main course. The total dishes for 8 dish course were up to 64 dishes. It had standard ingredients and dishes for banquet offered to the guests invited.



Exquisite stone carvings could be found in the courtyards of armed escorting company



A praying altar and view of the internal courtyards in an escorting service company



Large scheme armed escorting organization also had an underground cash storage room and elegantly furnished structure in their commercial courtyards.