Mr. Wu, who died of lung cancer at age 84 on Monday, responded to China's market overhauls in the early 1980s with a politically savvy strategy to charge up the economy of Huaxi, the village in eastern Jiangsu province that he headed as Communist Party secretary.

WSJ: He Led Village to Become China's Richest

My eyes are fairly popping out of my head even before we get to the theme park that Huaxi has built for the hordes of tourists who visit the village.

NPR: The End of Agriculture in China

But that's just what I found in Jiangsu province's Huaxi, which prides itself on being officially named as China's richest village, an accolade they say they've enjoyed for the last 16 years.

NPR: The End of Agriculture in China

"I was shocked, and everyone in the village is saddened by the news of his death, " said Wang Lijuan, a manager at the Huaxi Tourism Agency.

WSJ: He Led Village to Become China's Richest