Hu Ze (963-1039), courtesy name Zizheng, was a native of Yongkang and was an honest and upright official during the Northern Song Dynasty. He was once praised by Chairman Mao Zedong, and the Hu Residence near Longjing Spring of West Lake Scenic Area in Hangzhou was built in accordance with his fame.

Hu served as an official for 47 years, covering three reigns: Taizong (r. 976-997), Zhenzong (r. 997-1022), and Renzong (r. 1022-1063). He worked as administrator in ten prefectures, including Xunzhou (nowadays Guiping, Guangxi), Muzhou (nowadays Jiande, Zhejiang), Wenzhou, Fuzhou, Hangzhou, and Chenzhou (nowadays Lanling, Shandong), and held several positions, including councilor of the ministry of revenue, secretary-general of the ministry of rites, assistant minister of the ministry of works, assistant minister of the ministry of war, and chancellor of the treasury.

He is also renowned for being benevolent in governance, lenient in inflicting sentences, and apt to reduce taxes, eliminate corrupt practices, and benefit the people. Hu was an official in charge of transportation in the Guangnan West Circuit when a foreign merchant ship loaded with cargo was typhooned into Qiongzhou, Hainan. Unable to turn his back to a moribund person, Hu ordered the Qiongzhou Government to "loan three million" to the foreign merchant fleet. Eventually, the foreign fleet honored the promise, repaid the loan, and the news spread around. The result was that a large number of foreign merchant fleets began to engage in trade in the region, increasing the trade volume tenfold. Hu was then decorated by the court.