Fan Li (God of Wealth)

Fan Li, styled Shaobo, was a native of Chu State during the late Spring and Autumn period. After assisting King Goujian of Yue in enduring hardship and humiliation to ultimately defeat Wu and restore Yue’s sovereignty, he keenly understood the adage ‘when birds are gone, good bows are stored away’ and withdrew from politics to sail across the Five Lakes. Adopting the pseudonym Chi Yi Zi Pi, he later settled in Tao, engaged in commerce, and styled himself Tao Zhu Gong. He accumulated fortunes of one thousand gold pieces three times—and each time, he generously dispersed them to aid impoverished friends and distant relatives. His commercial insights—such as ‘when prices reach their peak, they inevitably fall’, and ‘during droughts, invest in boats’—became foundational tenets of mercantile philosophy. Subsequent generations of merchants revered him as the Sage of Commerce and the Civil God of Wealth, ranking him alongside Bi Gan and the God of Wealth and Silks among the triad of Civil Gods of Wealth; temples dedicated to him continue to thrive to this day.