Abstract: Partnership,as a highly resilient form of economic organization,adapted to socio-economic changes during the modern societal transformation while exhibiting certain modern characteristics. The general features of partnership evolution in this period can be found through an examination of partnership contract documents in modern Yunnan. The practical forms of partnership were far more diverse than the legal definitions of the time,with partnership behaviors at different levels displaying distinct evolutionary trends. Partnership entities formed varied combinations,and some contracts even reflected characteristics of a shareholding system. Amidst the shifts in modern socio-economic structures, partnerships demonstrated remarkable vitality and continued to exert positive social effects,contributing to the stability of commercial order.

Key words: partnership, contract, form evolution, social effects