Behind the Vice President: The Rong Family and a Proud History of National Industry

Author: blog@pptrace.com 2025-01-09

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Rong Desheng (August 4, 1875 – July 29, 1952), born Rong Zongquan and styled Le Nong Shi Jushi, was a renowned national capitalist and industrialist of modern China, hailing from Wuxi, Jiangsu. Together with his brother Rong Zongjing, he founded the Maoxin Flour Mill and Shenxin Textile Mill, gradually establishing an industrial system encompassing flour milling and textiles. This earned them the titles "Flour King" and "Textile Tycoon." By 1922, Rong's enterprises accounted for one-third of the national flour production capacity in private hands, while the textile industry centered on a chain of nine Shenxin textile factories.In addition to his dedication to industrial development as a means to strengthen the nation, Rong was deeply committed to public welfare. He founded Gongyi Primary School, Gongyi Industrial and Commercial High School, and Jiangnan University, fostering a large pool of technical talent. He was passionate about cultural advancement, establishing the Dagong Library and funding the construction of roads and bridges in Wuxi, including the renowned Meiyuan Garden and Baojie Bridge, significantly contributing to local economic and social progress.During the War of Resistance Against Japan, Rong refused to collaborate with the invaders, relocating some enterprises inland to support the war effort. After the liberation of China, he supported the construction of the new nation, serving as a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and the East China Military and Political Committee, among other positions. Rong Desheng's life stands as a model of industrial patriotism, public service, and national dedication.

Rong Zongjing

Rong Zongjing was a Chinese industrialist from Wuxi, Jiangsu. He was the older brother of Rong Desheng and the uncle of Rong Yiren. Rong went to Shanghai at the age of fourteen and worked as an apprentice at a native bank. Rong started his own native bank in 1896 with his father and brother, and then established a flour milling and textile empire in China that employed tens of thousands of workers.

Rong Desheng

Rong Desheng, born Rong Zongquan (榮宗銓), was a prominent Chinese industrialist from Wuxi. He and his older brother Rong Zongjing established the Rong Family Corporation in Shanghai, which became the largest domestic company in the industries of cotton textile and flour in the Republic of China (1912–49). After Rong Zongjing's 1938 death during the Second Sino-Japanese War, Rong Desheng took over the business empire and adamantly refused to sell his company to the Japanese despite immense financial pressure and death threats.

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Rong Yiren

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Yang Jianqing

Yang Jianqing was a native of Wuxi. She was the wife of Rong Yiren.

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荣毅仁面粉大王纺织巨子荣智健荣智鑫梅园建设者国家副主席荣文蔚爱国企业家 ALL