Xi Zhong

Traditionally regarded as a descendant of the Yellow Emperor and bearing the surname Ren, Xi Zhong served as the Chariot Director (Chezheng) during the reign of Yu the Great of the Xia dynasty, overseeing the manufacture of vehicles. Synthesizing earlier knowledge, he invented the two-wheeled wooden chariot equipped with spoked wheels, drawn by horses—a breakthrough that dramatically improved transportation and logistics. Both the Zuo Commentary (Zuozhuan) and the Mozi explicitly state, 'Xi Zhong invented the chariot.' For this achievement, he was enfeoffed at Xue—the region corresponding to present-day Tengzhou and Xicheng in Shandong Province—and became the founding ancestor of the ancient State of Xue. Subsequent generations of chariot-makers, repairers, and transport professionals venerated him as their patron deity, while travelers and drivers likewise prayed to him for safety and auspicious journeys. His tomb and temple stand on Xigong Mountain in Xicheng, where local communities hold seasonal rites to pray for prosperity in transport and the flourishing of well-maintained, unobstructed roads.