| The Yichenghou Department Store 宜诚厚 (Yíchénghòu) has housed the Xiang Yi Silk Shop 祥义号绸缎店 (Xiángyìhào Chóuduàn Diàn) since the Qing Dynasty. One of the palace eunuchs, Xiao Dezhang, provided the initial investment for the shop and managed it in addition to his regular duties. Many eunuchs engaged in businesses outside the palace and amassed vast personal wealth. They had the contacts and position and were good at utilizing them. It is one of the reasons eunuchs were mistrusted by those in the military and ministries
The silk shop has been in business continuously since the late 1800s, the Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty (1875 to 1908). In 1997 a group of businessmen invested in the shop and renovated it to return it to its original appearance.
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