The most important of the three banking groups or "sanbang" (三幫) in Shanxi were the Pingyao-based Rishengchang Bank (日升昌票莊), the Pingyao-based Five United Weizi Banks (蔚字五聯號), the Qixian-based Heshengyuan Bank (合盛元號), a bank based on the Chinese tea trade, or the Taigu-based Zhichengxin Bank (志誠信號), who were former silk traders.