The Gong Clan#

Surname: Gong, pronounced as “gǒng”

Distribution of the Gong Clan#

According to historical records on surnames, the Gong clan originated from a prominent family of officials during the Zhou Dynasty, with their ancestral home in present-day Gong County, located in Henan Province. Gong County is situated on the east bank of the Luo River and was originally one of the vassal states during the Zhou period, known as the State of Gongbo. After the unification of China by the Qin and Han dynasties, the former site of the State of Gongbo was established as Gong County. The prominent members of this clan resided in Shanyang Commandery, which is now in the northwest of Jinxiang County, Shandong Province. The descendants of the Gong clan regard Gong Jian Gong as the founder of their surname.

Origins of the Gong Clan#

There are three theories regarding the origin of the “Gong” surname:

1. The surname derives from the Ji clan and is named after a place. During the Zhou Dynasty, a minister of the King Jing of Zhou named Jian Gong was granted the fief of Gong (present-day Gong County, Henan Province), hence the name Gong Jian Gong. Jian Gong held significant political power and, observing that many internal conflicts within the royal family were caused by the nobility’s influence, began to appoint officials from various vassal states rather than from the royal family. This decision caused dissatisfaction among the royal descendants. Later, Prince Chao rebelled and killed Jian Gong. His descendants then adopted the name of their ancestral fief, “Gong,” as their surname.

2. The surname also has origins among the ancient Qiang tribes, with a notable member named Gong Lianyu.

3. Another theory suggests that the surname originated from the descendants of Gong Shuo, a high-ranking official from the State of Jin during the Spring and Autumn period.

Distribution of Clan Hometowns

According to “Junwang Baijiaxing” (A Record of the Hundred Surnames by Their Hometowns) and “Xingshu Luekao” (A Brief Study of Surnames), the Gong clan originates from Shanyang Commandery. There are two specific locations mentioned:

• In the sixth year of the Zhongyuan era of Emperor Jing of Han (around 144 BCE), the State of Liang was split to form the State of Shanyin, which was later renamed Shanyang Commandery during the Jianyuan era (140–135 BCE). This region corresponds to the area around Dushan Lake in present-day Shandong Province.
• During the Yixi era of the Eastern Jin Dynasty (405–418 CE), the State of Guangling was split to form Shanyang Commandery, governing the area around present-day Huai’an County in Jiangsu Province.

Clan Hall Name: “Houzhai Hall”

Gong Rong from the Song Dynasty held the position of Minister of the Supreme Court (Dali Si Qing) and previously served as the governor of Yanzhou. He later rose to the rank of Secretariat Director (Si Jian Lang). Known for his calm demeanor, fairness, integrity, and extensive knowledge, he never acted based on personal biases. He promoted cultural education and managed officials and implemented policies in a way that valued intellectuals. As a result, people in all the places he governed spoke highly of him. He authored the “Houzhai Collection” (Houzhai Ji).