The Zhu Clan#

Surname: Zhu, pronounced as zhū

Regions where the Zhu Clan is Distributed**#

Pei County, Anhui; Danyang, Anhui; Yongcheng, Anhui; Wu County, Jiangsu; Qiantang, Zhejiang; Taikang, Henan; Dantu, Jiangsu; Henan County (present-day Luoyang), Henan.

Origins of the Zhu Clan#

The origin of the "Zhu" surname can be traced back to:

1. The Zhu clan originated during the Western Zhou Dynasty and is descended from the ancient emperor Zhuanxu of the Gaoyang lineage. Lu Zhong, a great-grandson of Zhuanxu, had six sons. The fifth son, named An, was granted the surname Cao by Emperor Yu the Great. After King Wu of Zhou overthrew the Shang Dynasty and established the Zhou Dynasty, An's descendant Cao Jie was enfeoffed in the state of Zhuzhong (around present-day Zoucheng, Shandong Province), which was a vassal state of the state of Lu. Zhuzhong was also known as Zou or Zhoulou and included present-day Feixian, Zoucheng, Tengzhou, and Jinxian in Shandong Province. Its capital was located in Zhuzhong (present-day Nanzhoushan Village, southeast of Qufu, Shandong). In 614 BC, Duke Wen of Zhuzhong moved the capital to Yizheng (present-day Jiwangcheng, southeast of Zoucheng, Shandong). During the Warring States period, Zhuzhong was conquered by the state of Chu. The nobles of Zhuzhong adopted the name of their state as their surname, which became the Zhu surname. Later, some descendants of the rulers of Zhuzhong also adopted the surname Zhu.

2. According to the "Wei Shu·Guan Shi Zhi," the Xianbei tribe's Jiezhu Hun and Zhukehun clans changed their surname to Zhu during the reign of Emperor Xiaowen of Wei.

3. The Zhu surname also originated from Danzu, a direct descendant of Emperor Yao. According to genealogical records, Danzu's descendants split into several branches: one branch adopted the surname Fang, another the surname Li, and yet another the surname Fu. Another branch took their ancestor's name, "Zhu," which became an important branch of the Zhu clan.

4. The "Yuan He Xing Zuan" mentions that during the reign of Emperor Shun, there was a minister named Zhu Biao (also spelled Zhu Hu), and his descendants adopted the surname Zhu.

5. Song Weizi Qi, the founder of the state of Song (a cousin of King Zhou of Shang), had a descendant named Zhu Hui who originally used the name of his state as his surname. During the Spring and Autumn period, when the state of Song was conquered, his descendants fled to Dang (present-day Dangshan County, Anhui Province) and changed their surname from Song to Zhu.

6. The Zhu surname also originated from the Cao lineage, descendants of Emperor Zhuanxu. It is said that Zhuanxu had a grandson named Lu Zhong, who had six sons. The fifth son, named An, was granted the surname Cao. After King Wu of Zhou overthrew the Shang Dynasty, Cao Jie was enfeoffed in the state of Zhuzhong, which was a vassal of Lu. During the Spring and Autumn period, the nobles of Zhuzhong adopted the name of their state as their surname.

7. During the Northern Dynasties, after Emperor Xiaowen of Northern Wei moved the capital to Luoyang, the Xianbei tribes Jiezhu Hun and Zhukehun changed their surname to the Chinese character "Zhu."

Hall Names (Tang Hao)

• Bailu Tang (White Deer Hall): Zhu Xi, a great Confucian scholar of the Song Dynasty, once taught at the Bailudong Academy, hence the name.
• Jujing Tang (Respect and Integrity Hall): Zhu Xi advocated the teaching principles of "progressing step by step and maintaining respect and integrity." This name reflects his emphasis on both teaching and setting an example for students.
• Zhekan Tang (Breaking the Threshold Hall): During the Han Dynasty, there was an official named Zhu Yun who opposed a corrupt official named Zhang Yu. Despite the emperor's trust in Zhang Yu, Zhu Yun courageously exposed his crimes, which led to his execution. This event is commemorated by the name of the hall.
• Yiben Tang (Overcoming Barriers Hall): Another hall name reflecting Zhu Xi's emphasis on breaking barriers and advocating for justice.

Migration History

The Zhu clan originated in the areas between present-day Henan and Anhui provinces, as well as Jiangsu Province. In the Western Han Dynasty, Zhu Zhi had two sons: Zhu Yu and Zhu Zhuo. Zhu Yu was killed during the political purges of the Eastern Han Dynasty, and his descendants fled to Danyang (present-day Anhui). Zhu Zhuo's descendants mainly settled in present-day Shaanxi, Henan, and Hubei provinces. Before the Wei and Jin dynasties, the Zhu clan had spread to northern regions such as Henan, Shandong, and Anhui. At the end of the Tang Dynasty, Zhu Baoguang migrated to Hunan. During the Eastern Jin Dynasty, Zhu Wei moved from Nanyang, Henan, to Nankang (present-day Jiangxi). Zhu Xi, a descendant of Zhu Baoguang, returned to Luling (present-day Ji'an, Jiangxi). Zhu Quan, a descendant of Zhu Xi, fled to Anfu County, Ji'an (present-day Jiangxi) during the Southern Song Dynasty, and later moved to Xingning, Guangdong, where he established the Xingning Zhushi branch of the Zhu clan. Zhu Quan's third son, Zhu Si, moved to Luofu (present-day Dongxing, Guangxi) during the Yuan Dynasty, and his descendants spread throughout Guangxi and Guangdong. Members of the Zhu clan living along the coasts of Fujian and Guangdong began to migrate to Taiwan during the Ming Dynasty and later to Southeast Asia, Europe, and America. The Zhu clan has always been one of the largest in southern China.

Notable People with the Zhu Surname

• Zhu Yuanzhang: The founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty. He led the Red Turbans during the peasant uprising at the end of the Yuan Dynasty and established the Ming Dynasty.
• Zhu De: The third emperor of the Ming Dynasty, a great Marxist, revolutionary, politician, and military leader.
• Zhu Ziqing: A renowned scholar and poet from Zhejiang.
• Zhu Rongji: Former Prime Minister of the People's Republic of China, known for his integrity and fairness as an official.