gōng 宫

### Migration and Distribution #### 1. Early Migration Gong Xiru, the ancestor of the Gong clan in Donglai, arrived at Mount Kunyu from the Central Plains and settled in Liulinzhuang, Jieshi Town, Wendeng City. He lived there for only a short time. He set off from the Central Plains when the Later Zhou Dynasty ceded the throne to the Song Dynasty in AD 960 and passed away in Nanyuan in front of Mount Kunyu in AD 964, totaling only four years. According to research, Nanyuan is now Kunyang Village, formerly known as Gongjiazhuang (renamed in 1981). There were no Gong clan members living there in the early Yuan Dynasty (it is now occupied by the Wang clan). The descendants of Gong Xiru initially lived in the surrounding villages centered around Liulinzhuang and gradually migrated to various places later. The tombstone and genealogy records show that from Gong Xiru to his 11th - generation descendants, there were at least 13 with recorded names and at least 28 whose names were lost. For example, the genealogy records: "The genealogy is clear. They first moved from Liulin Village to Gongjiazhuang (Kunyang), and then from Gongjiazhuang to the village on the west ridge of Yingxianqiao. Duke Jiacheng moved from the village on the ridge to the front of Changxue Mountain and chose this place as his residence (i.e., lived in Changshan Village)." However, the "Wendeng City Gazetteer" records that the Gong clan in Ling Shang Village migrated from Yunnan in the early Yuan Dynasty. It is estimated that this statement in the city gazetteer is incorrect. The Wendeng City Gazetteer also records that the Gong clan in Liulinzhuang migrated from Haiyangsuo in the middle of the Ming Dynasty. This statement may also be incorrect. The couplets in the ancestral halls of the Gong clan in various places read: "The old clan of Liulin, branching from Taoling"; "Branching from Gushui, tracing the genealogy back to Mount Kunyu." It can be seen that the Gong clan in Liulin is an ancient native clan. The Gong clan also lived in Taohuaxian and branched out from there. Gushui refers to the small river in front of Liulin Village, and Mount Kunyu is Mount Kunyu. The "Rushan City Gazetteer" records that all the Gong clan members in the city are descendants of the native old clan in Liulin, Wendeng County, mainly divided into three branches: (1) One branch of the Gong clan in Liulin migrated to Zhuocun, Laiyang. The descendants of this branch are the most numerous, and will be recorded separately later. (2) During the Hongwu period of the Ming Dynasty, one branch of the Gong clan in Liulin migrated to Xujia Village, Fengjia Town. The descendants later settled in villages such as Wugezhuang, Gongjiatuan, and Nanxiwu. The genealogy also records: "Xujia Village in Ningyi... is the descendant of Duke Er." Ningyi refers to Ninghai Prefecture. Previously, Fengjia Town was under the jurisdiction of Ninghai Prefecture. It can be seen that the statement in this city gazetteer is well - founded and credible. (3) During the Jingtai period of the Ming Dynasty, the Gong clan in Yicheng, Wendeng (of the same clan as the Gong clan in Liulin) migrated to Gongjia Village, Baishatan Town. The descendants later settled in villages such as Gongjiazhuang and Xiaotan. Gong Bensen from Gongjia Village spent three years compiling the genealogy of this branch of the Gong clan, with a total of 110,000 characters. Gong Bensen was born in 1945 and is now the director of the "Dexin Horticultural Farm" on Mount Duogu. Except for those who remained in the local area and the three major branches that migrated in the early days, the descendants of the Liulin Gong clan, the descendants of Gong Xiru, have only migrated sporadically for reasons such as making a living or studying since then, without large - scale migrations. #### 2. The Gong Clan in Zhuocun, Laiyang The "Genealogy of the Gong Clan in Donglai" regards Gong Tianshou as the first - generation ancestor, who is the seventh - generation grandson of Gong Xiru, the ancestor of the Gong clan in Buye. Duke Tianshou had seven sons, and the names of six of them are lost. The sixth son, named Gong Fu, migrated from Liulin, Wendeng to Zhuocun, Laiyang at the end of the Northern Song Dynasty and is the founder of the Gong clan in Laiyang. Now, the generations of the Gong clan in Jiaodong are arranged starting from Gong Tianshou as the first generation based on this. Gong Fu had a son named Gong Xi; Gong Xi had five sons, named Ren, Yi, Li, Zhi, and Xin. After the five brothers separated their households, Ren and Li stayed in Zhuocun; Yi and Zhi migrated to Qingshan Village (in Yayazi Town, Rushan City); Xin migrated back to Wendeng. Since then, the descendants have thrived and spread throughout Jiaodong, and then to the whole country and even the world. ##### (1) The Glorious Era The most prominent period in the history of the Gong clan in Jiaodong was the Gong clan in Laiyang during the Jin and Yuan Dynasties. They were wealthy and held high positions, with remarkable achievements. They owned tens of thousands of hectares of fertile land, combined five industries in one household, lived a life of farming, studying, observing etiquette, and being honest, and lived in a large clan. There were often more than 300 people of all ages in the family, making them a prominent and wealthy family at that time. Gong Li, the fourth - generation ancestor, was a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) in AD 1185 during the Dading period of the Jin Dynasty. He accumulated official positions as the governor of Qingzhou, a cavalry colonel, and a feudal lord, was conferred the title of a court - ranked official, and was awarded a purple goldfish bag. He was the first Jinshi in the history of the Gong clan. He had a son named Gong Fushou. Gong Fushou, the fifth - generation ancestor, was posthumously awarded the title of a senior official. He had three sons: Cheng, Qian, and Shen, all of whom held official positions. Gong Shen, the sixth - generation ancestor, had nine sons, six of whom held official positions; he also had ten grandsons, seven of whom held official positions. His seventh grandson, Gong Zhen, was a Jinshi in AD 1315 during the Yanyou period of the Yuan Dynasty, and was honored as the Grand Minister of State, ranking among the Three Dukes, and was awarded the title of a senior official. He held high power and was the highest - ranking official in the national regime in the history of the Gong clan from the ancestor Gong Zhiqi to the present, with the reputation of "half of the court is the Gong clan." At this time, among the other descendants of the same clan, those with official positions accounted for about half of the clan members. The Jin and Yuan Dynasties were the heyday of the official career development of the Gong clan in Laiyang and the most glorious period in the history of the Gong clan in Donglai. ##### (2) Migration and Distribution The five brothers of the fourth - generation ancestor: Ren, Yi, Li, Zhi, and Xin, separated their households. Ancestors Ren and Li stayed in Zhuocun. As the population increased, the later descendants began to migrate gradually. According to Chinese traditional customs, the eldest son and his descendants stay in the ancestral home. The descendants of the eldest son, Ancestor Ren, and the descendants of Cheng, the eldest grandson of Ancestor Li (the third son), have lived in Zhuocun for sixteen generations and only started to migrate in the seventeenth generation. They mainly migrated to the surrounding villages centered around Zhuocun at close distances. Zhuocun, belonging to Jiangtuan Town, Laiyang City, is on the left bank of the lower reaches of the Wulong River, surrounded by mountains and rivers, with fertile land, providing excellent environmental conditions for the reproduction of the Gong clan. Now, there are more than 1,500 households and more than 5,000 people in Zhuocun, most of whom are from the Gong clan, known as the first village in Laiyang. Qian, the second grandson of Ancestor Li, had six sons and thirteen grandsons. His descendants first lived in Zhuocun and started to migrate in the tenth generation. For example, the Gong clan in villages such as Donggezhuang, Xizhongjing, Xutuanzhuang, and Xuefang in Laiyang, and Dahan Village in Jimo, Gongjiazhuang in Penglai, and Balingzhuang in Pingdu are all descendants of Gong Qian. Gong Youxian, the ancestor of the Gong clan in Dongguang, Hebei Province, was the third - place winner in the imperial examination in AD 140