Shen Wansan

Shen Wansan (1296/1330/1328-1376) was a businessman during the beginning of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). He was adept in running businesses with overseas countries through water ways and became one of the richest men in the area south of the Yangtze River. His success signaled the development of Zhouzhuang, which became the business center at that time, and then grew into a large water town. He offered financial aid to the Hongwu Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang to build one third of the Great Wall during the Ming Dynasty.