Makers › Merchant / Entrepreneur
Pu Shougeng
Prominent Arab-descended maritime magnate and trade superintendent who dominated Quanzhou (Zaiton) port commerce.
Mural guide
On a river quay, loaded camels rest before a warehouse of stacked bales, with a balance scale and abacus on a table and green ceramic jars in front; porters carry bundles toward a large sailing ship on the right, and blank banners hang at the warehouse.
Also known as Superintendent Pu
Pu Shougeng (c. 1205 CE–1290 CE) was an Arab-descended merchant prince and maritime official in Quanzhou. Controlling merchant shipping and customs revenues, his alliance with Yuan dynasty accelerated Quanzhou's rise as a global maritime hub.
Life and times
Dates 1205 CE–1290 CE
EraSongYuan