Wansan Cruise

As of today, the legend of Shen Wansan, or the “God of Wealth”, has developed into a “name card” of Zhouzhuang, attracting thousands of visitors from home and abroad. During the National Holiday, numerous visitors came to experience Wansan Cruise.

With dragons dancing to the music of loud gongs and drums, the visitors travelled the Former Residence of Shen Wansan, prayed to the God of Wealth and took photos with the statue of Shen Wansan.

The Shen family was a wealthy family in Nanxun town in Zhejiang province at the end of the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368). The Shen wife died of plague after a flood. The husband, Shen You, and their famous sons hurriedly escaped to Zhouzhuang, miles away from Nanxun. But the two eldest sons still died of plague, leaving only two sons, Shen Fu and Shen Gui. Shen Fu, the third son, once disappeared for several days. When he returned, he excitedly told his family that he had visited the city of Suzhou, telling them about business opportunities that would allow them to make money. The little boy later changed his name to Shen Wanshan.

The Shen family only grew reeds and thatches at the beginning. Through their dedicated work, the plot was cultivated and produced high yields. Thanks to fertile lands, mild temperatures and convenient irrigation resources, Zhouzhuang boasted high yields of grain, rapes and silkworms. Shen families soon became a tycoon through their effective field management during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).

By Lucy Xie