The rise of Zhejiang businessmen took place during the Tang and Song Dynasties, when the economic and cultural center of the East shifted from the North to the South, and Zhejiang became known as the "Land of Fish and Rice" and the "Silk Capital."
The Great Ming Dynasty's experimentation with replacing rice cultivation with mulberry planting was initiated in Zhejiang, subtly highlighting the nascent beginnings of capitalism during the Ming Dynasty.
During the Ming Dynasty, Zhejiang merchants were mainly divided into two major factions: the Longyou Business Group and the Mingzhou Business Association. As the saying goes, "Wherever there are Longyou merchants, there's a market," and "Without Ning merchants, there's no marketplace."
