kingdom · China, Tibet and Mongolia

State of Huang

1046 BCE – 648 BCE (approx.) · capital Huangchuan

A Ying-clan state of the Huai valley whose lavish tombs at Guangshan reveal a rich court, destroyed by Chu in 648 BCE for refusing tribute.

Origins

Huang was a long-established state of the Ying clan on the Huai River plain, centred near modern Huangchuan in south-eastern Henan. Its rulers, ranked as lords, were recognised under the Western Zhou and controlled fertile land on the route between the Central Plain and the Yangtze.

Rule and society

Huang joined Qi's alliance under Duke Huan and refused to send tribute to the State of Chu, trusting in Qi's distant support. The tombs of Lord Meng of Huang and his wife, excavated at Guangshan in 1983, contained fine bronzes, jades and lacquer, showing a wealthy aristocratic culture close to that of the Central Plain.

Decline and legacy

Chu destroyed Huang in 648 BCE, and Qi did not intervene. Its lands became part of Chu's northern frontier. The common surname Huang is traditionally traced to the state.

Connections (1)

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Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). State of Huang. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/state-of-huang
MLA
“State of Huang.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/state-of-huang. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “State of Huang.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/state-of-huang.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘State of Huang’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/state-of-huang (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻