cháo 巢

Migration and Distribution (Lacking information) The Chao surname is not listed among the top 100 surnames in the Chinese mainland or Taiwan. In ancient times, there was a court official of Emperor Yao named Chaofu, who was the pioneer of Chinese architecture. He is also known as Youchao Shi. The most prominent feature of traditional Chinese architecture is wooden structures, which is quite different from the stone structures in other countries. In ancient times, Chaofu taught people to build houses using tree trunks to protect themselves from wild animals. Later, this type of architecture was called stilt - houses. Since these houses were built on trees, similar to the nests built by eagles and birds, their creator was named Youchao Shi. When Dayu became the king, he ennobled the descendants of Youchao Shi and allowed them to establish the Chao State, which was located in present - day Chaoxian County, Anhui Province. The descendants of the royal family of the Chao State formed the Chao surname. The prominent families of the Chao surname were based in Pengcheng Commandery, which is now Xuzhou and Tongshan in Jiangsu Province.