Shanxi). In later periods, Shanxi also became the political core of the Northern Wei, a Xianbei-founded dynasty whose early capital was located in present-day northern Datong. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, Shanxi merchants dominated China's commerce and finance. Their commercial networks extended to Russia, Japan, Korea, Central Asia, Southeast Asia, and South Asia. After the collapse of the Qing dynasty, Shanxi was governed for nearly four decades by Yan Xishan and functioned with a high degree of de facto autonomy within the Republic of China, serving as a major Kuomintang political and industrial stronghold in the north and being described as "the model province", before being incorporated into the state system of the People's Republic of China, where its role shifted toward that of a major energy-producing province. - Source: Wikipedia
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