Gong Family Name#

The family name is Gong, pronounced as gōng.

Distribution of the Gong Family Name#

Hedong Commandery: In ancient times, there were four Hedong Commanderies:

1. It referred to the entire present-day Shanxi Province.
2. During the early Qin Dynasty (in the year Gengchen, 221 BCE), the commandery was established with its administrative center in Anyi (present-day Xiaxian, Shanxi). Its jurisdiction included areas around present-day Xiaxian, Linfen, Wanrong, Yongji, and Wenxi counties in Shanxi. In the Eastern Jin Dynasty, the administrative center was moved to Puban (present-day Puzhou Town, Yongji, Shanxi). During the Sui and Tang Dynasties, it was known as Puzhou Hedong Commandery. In the Sui Dynasty, Puban was separated, and Hedong County was established as the new administrative center. In the Ming Dynasty, Hedong County was merged into Puzhou.
3. During the Tang Dynasty, there was also the Hedong Circuit, and the Hedong Jiedushi (military governor) was appointed, with the headquarters in Taiyuan (present-day Taiyuan, Shanxi).
4. In the Song Dynasty, there was the Hedong Road, with its administrative center in Bingzhou (present-day Taiyuan, Shanxi). At that time, its jurisdiction extended north to the Great Wall and also included the northeastern part of present-day Shaanxi. During the Jin Dynasty, it was divided into Hedong East Road and Hedong North Road; the former's administrative center was in Pingyang (present-day Linfen, Shanxi), and the latter's in Taiyuan Prefecture.

Taiyuan Prefecture: Also known as Taiyuan Commandery, it was established in the fourth year of King Zhuangxiang of Qin during the Warring States period (in the year Yimao, 246 BCE), with its administrative center in Jinyang (present-day Taiyuan, Shanxi). Its jurisdiction included areas around Wutai Mountain and the southern part of Guancen Mountain, as well as the northern part of Huoshan Mountain in Shanxi. During the Northern Wei Dynasty, its jurisdiction expanded to the area between present-day Yangqu, Jiaocheng, and Pingyao counties in Shanxi. In the Sui Dynasty, Jinyang was renamed Taiyuan, and another Jinyang was established, which was in the same city as Taiyuan. During the Song Dynasty, Bingzhou was renamed Taiyuan Prefecture. In the mid-Tai Pingxing period (976–984 CE), Bingzhou was renamed Taiyuan Prefecture, and its administrative center was moved to Yangqu (present-day Taiyuan, Shanxi). The Hedong East Road and Hedong North Road during the Song and Jin Dynasties, as well as during the Ming and Qing Dynasties, were both under the jurisdiction of Taiyuan Prefecture. In the Republic of China, it became a city and the capital of Shanxi Province.

Origins of the Gong Family Name#

The name Gong has the following origins:

1. It originated from a government position, forming during the Western Zhou Dynasty. There were officials responsible for maintaining and cleaning the palace, known as “Gongren.” Their descendants adopted “Gong” as their surname.
2. It also came from the Ji surname, with the name of a fiefdom being used as the surname. During the Spring and Autumn period, in the state of Lu, there was a man named Meng Yizi, whose son Tao was granted the fiefdom of Nangong (present-day Nangong County, Hebei Province). His descendants took the name of the fiefdom as their surname, which later split into the surnames Nangong and Gong.
3. Another origin is from the Ji surname, with the name of a state being used as the surname.

Founding Ancestor of the Gong Family Name:
Gong Xiru, styled Dexian and known as Sizhi, served as the defense commander of Yuanzhou during the Later Zhou Dynasty (951–960 CE). After the fall of the Later Zhou and the rise of the Song Dynasty, he resigned from his position, took his wife and children, and retired to live in the village of Liulin in front of Kunyu Mountain, west of the capital. He is considered the progenitor of the Gong family in Jiaodong. The Gong family in Jiaodong today are all descendants of Gong Xiru. After retiring, Gong Xiru devoted himself to studying the I Ching (Book of Changes) and became a disciple of a Taoist master named Tan Zhenren, receiving the Taoist name Kunqian. In the second year of the Qiande era of the Song Dynasty (964 CE), Gong Xiru passed away in Nanyuan in front of Kunyu Mountain. Upon hearing of this, Emperor Taizong of Song ordered a temple to be built in Nanyuan to enshrine his portrait for future generations to worship. Remains of the temple, the Dragon Stele, and the burial stone still exist from the Qing Dynasty; this temple was later known as the “Immortal Hall.” Gong Xiru is the founding ancestor of the Gong family in Jiaodong, and his descendants have spread throughout Jiaodong and around the world, resulting in a thriving lineage.

Hall Names:
“Zhongjian Hall”: During the Spring and Autumn period, the state of Jin borrowed a route from the state of Yu to attack the state of Guo, offering a fine horse and a beautiful jade pendant. Gong Zhiqi, a minister of Yu, advised the ruler of Yu, “If your lips are cut off, your teeth will be exposed and you will suffer from the cold. Guo is like our lips; we must not lend them the route to harm ourselves.” The ruler of Yu ignored his advice, accepted the gifts from Jin, and allowed