Ye Chengzhong was an early industrialist in China. He founded Shang Tong Bank, the first bank in China, and operated Kechi Shunji, which supplied steel and coal to Jiangnan General Manufacturing Bureau and several shipyards, and founded dozens of hardware stores, as well as Hua Lun Silk Factory and Xiechang Match Factory.

Ye Chengzhong is also a philanthropist. Established the first formal modern education school founded by China people-"Dream of Success School", which is the predecessor of the middle school in the city. /kloc-over the past 0/00 years, this school has trained more than 40,000 students for China, many of whom are famous scholars, scientists and entrepreneurs, such as Hu Shi, Ni, Zhu Kezhen, Le Jialing and Li Dasan. In addition, as early as 187 1, he invested 32,000 silver to set up Yes Yizhuang in his hometown, helping poor children to study for free and receive modern education such as English. Bao Yugang and Shao Yifu both received enlightenment education in this Yizhuang, and Ye Chengzhong's ideal of rejuvenating the country through education lasted for more than a century through his students.