Chen (state)
Chen 陳 | |||||||
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| c. 1045 BC–479 BC | |||||||
| Capital | Wanqiu (宛丘) | ||||||
| Government | Monarchy | ||||||
| History | |||||||
• Established | c. 1045 BC | ||||||
• Became capital of Chu | 479 BC | ||||||
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| Chen | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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"Chen" in seal script (top), Traditional (middle), and Simplified (bottom) Chinese characters | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 陳 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 陈 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Chen (simplified Chinese: 陈; traditional Chinese: 陳; pinyin: Chén) was a state founded by Duke Hu of Chen during the Zhou dynasty of ancient China. It existed from c. 1045 BC–479 BC. Its capital was Wanqiu, in present-day Huaiyang County in the plains of eastern Henan province. Chen, the 4th most popular Chinese surname in the world, and members of the Hu clan, the 13th most popular Chinese surname in the world, would claim descent from the Duke Hu of Chen who was in turn descended from the legendary Emperor Shun. At its peak, Chen encompassed fourteen cities in modern-day Henan and Anhui.