Chen Suiheng

Chen Suiheng (; December 1915 – 2008) was a Chinese industrialist and politician, originally from Huaining County, Anhui. He was a prominent leader of the China Democratic National Construction Association (CDNCA) and served in a number of senior positions at the municipal, provincial, and national levels of the People's Republic of China, including Vice Mayor of Nanjing, Vice Chairperson of the Jiangsu Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, and a member of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress.

Biography

Chen Suiheng was born in December 1915 in Tianjin, with ancestral roots in Huaining, Anhui. He pursued higher education in Shanghai and graduated from St. John's University, Shanghai in 1940. After completing his studies, Chen devoted himself to industrial development, working in various regions across China. He successively served as deputy manager and factory director of the Youlian Ice Factory in Chengdu and as deputy director of the Youheng Flour Mill in Nanjing, gradually establishing himself as a capable industrial entrepreneur.

Following the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, Chen chose to remain in Nanjing and transferred full ownership of his flour mill to the new government. He subsequently became deeply involved in the organization and leadership of industrial and commercial associations, serving as Chairman of the Nanjing Federation of Industry and Commerce and Vice Chairman of the Jiangsu Federation of Industry and Commerce. In March 1951, he joined the China Democratic National Construction Association and later played a key role in establishing its Nanjing municipal organization. Over the following decades, he served as Chairman of the Jiangsu Provincial Committee of the CDNCA, Vice Chairperson and later Honorary Vice Chairperson of the CDNCA Central Committee.

Chen served twice as Vice Mayor of Nanjing, first from 1957 to 1966 and again from 1981 to 1983. During his later term, despite being in his sixties, he took charge of urban administration portfolios including public health, environmental sanitation, environmental protection, and city management. He was widely known for personally inspecting streets, markets, restaurants, public facilities, and rivers, often traveling by bicycle throughout the city. His hands-on and people-centered approach earned him the popular nickname “the Road Mayor” among Nanjing residents.

At the national level, Chen was a member of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress during its Seventh term and served multiple terms as a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, including as a standing committee member. He also held the position of Vice Chairperson of the Jiangsu Provincial CPPCC and was later named Honorary Chairman of the Jiangsu Provincial Committee of the CDNCA.

Chen Suiheng died in Nanjing on 12 January 2008 at the age of 93.