Zhejiang comprises the heartland of what is known as the Yangtze River delta and has been the richest province since ancient times. Like its sister province Jiangsu, Zhejiang has reaped the windfall of the Yangtze River trade route as well as having access to the Grand Canal to ship goods north. Zhejiang came into prominence for its wealth during the era of the Three Kingdoms, where the kingdom of Wu was so resource abundant compared to its other rival kingdoms. It was at this time that China saw its first large-scale naval fleets used for river battles, a feat only made possible by the prosperity of Zhejiang. Zhejiang’s wealth accumulated over the centuries, and the city of Hangzhou came to rival Nanjing in time. It was such a wealthy city that  Marco Polo wrote of the city as greater than any in the world. This was also confirmed by Ibn Battuta’s writing.
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