Huizhou merchants in the north of Zhejiang in the Ming and Qing Dynasties

From the middle of the Ming Dynasty, more and more Huizhou merchants came to Hangzhou, Jiaxing and Huzhou in Zhejiang doing businessen and especially prosperous in such businesses as rice, wood, salt and pawnbroking. They contributed much not only to the economical prosperity and social development but also to the promotion of the cultural taste and fame there.