State

Wu (state)

to 473 BCE · 5th century BCE

Wu was a state of the Zhou period in the lower Yangtze region, centred on modern Suzhou, whose rulers claimed descent from Taibo, an uncle of King Wen of Zhou. It rose to power in the late sixth century BCE under King Helü, who defeated Chu at Boju in 506 BCE, and under his son Fuchai, who challenged Jin for leadership of the states. It was conquered by its southern neighbour Yue under King Goujian in 473 BCE.

Wu (state)
Image: Yug · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
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APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Wu (state). In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/wu-state
MLA
“Wu (state).” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/wu-state. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Wu (state).” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/wu-state.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Wu (state)’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/wu-state (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻