Zhu Wu

Zhu Wu is a fictional character in Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He ranks 37th of the 108 Liangshan heroes and 1st of the 72 Earthly Fiends. He is nicknamed "Resourceful Strategist".

Background

Zhu Wu is described in the novel as a handsome man with blazing eyes and a long beard. He dons a Taoist's garments and carries a fan made of crane feathers. He is well versed in military strategy and the deployment of battle formations, for which he earns the nickname "Resourceful Strategist".

Originally from Dingyuan (定遠; present-day Dingyuan County, Chuzhou, Anhui), Zhu Wu leads a band of outlaws based on Mount Shaohua (少華山; southeast of present-day Hua County, Weinan, Shaanxi) together with his two companions, Chen Da and Yang Chun. The local government in the nearby Huayin County is afraid of them. Once, when the outlaws are short on food supplies, they decide to raid Huayin County for resources and are due to pass by Shi Jin's village along the way. Zhu Wu has reservations about the attack because he has heard of Shi Jin's reputation as a powerful fighter and fears that he might stand in their way. Chen Da ignores Zhu Wu's warning and leads his men to attack Shi Jin's village, but ends up being defeated and captured by Shi Jin.

Zhu

Zhu or ZHU may refer to:

Zhu (string instrument)

The zhu (筑; pinyin: zhù) was an ancient Chinese string instrument. Although it is no longer used, three very old specimens in varying degrees of preservation survive. One with five strings, dating to approximately 433 BC, was discovered in the Tomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng, in the Hubei province of central China.

It first became popular during the Warring States period, when its most famous player was Gao Jianli, a citizen of the state of Yan who attracted the attention and played for Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China.

The instrument remained popular through the Sui and Tang dynasties, and was lost during the Song Dynasty.

Little is known about the instrument but it is believed to have been a zither with a rectangular wooden body, with silk or gut strings that were played with a slender stick. Although ancient sources state that the instrument was struck (implying that the stick was bounced on the string in the manner of a hammered dulcimer in order to elicit sound), it is possible that it was actually plucked with the stick in the manner of the Korean komungo.

Zhu (surname)

Zhu is the pinyin romanization of four Chinese surnames: 朱, 祝, 竺, and 諸. It is spelled Chu in the Wade-Giles romanization system mainly used in Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.

The most common of the four, 朱, was the surname of the Ming Dynasty emperors. Today it is the 13th most common surname in the People's Republic of China, with a population of over fifteen million.

Origination and distribution

The Zhu (朱) family originated from the minor state of Zhu (邾, later renamed Zou) (p. 43, Chao) in present-day southwestern Shandong Province. King Wu of Zhou granted Cao Xie, a descendant of the Yellow Emperor through his grandson Zhuanxu, control over the small state. He was a vassal ruler under the Lu (state) (魯) and held the feudal title Viscount (子), but later held the title Duke of Zhu (邾公) during the Spring and Autumn Period. (p. 138, Li Chi; p. 239, Tan & p. 306, Wu).

The ancestral surname (姓) of the ruling family was Cao). (p. 144, Li Xueqin). The state of Zou was conquered and annexed by the state of Chu during the reign of King Xuan of Chu (楚宣王) (369–340 BC). (p. 43, Chao). The ruling family and its descendants adopted Zhu (朱) as their surname in memory of their former state of Zhu (邾). (p. 43, Chao & p. 239, Tan).