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Zuo Zongtang

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Military Personnel

The Resume

    (November 10, 1812-September 5, 1885)
    Born in Xiangyin, Hunan, China
    Viceroy of Liangjiang
    AKA ‘General Tso’ or ‘General Tao’
    First Marquess Kejing of the Second Class
    Governor general of Zhejiang and Fujian (later Shaanxi and Gansu)
    Died at age 72 in Fuzhou, Fujian Province

Why he might be annoying:

    He was born into academic connections.
    Cantonese influence caused his name to be misspelled and mispronounced as Cho.
    Despite failing health and only one good eye, he was not permitted to retire.
    Based on the commentary of his descendants, neither he nor they have tasted or even known of the dish bearing his name.
    In Western culture, his name would be marked as Zongtang Zuo.

Why he might not be annoying:

    During the Taiping Rebellion (1850), he was given command of a fleet of some 5,000 volunteers — later known as the Chu Army.
    He used Western technology and economic production to put the boots to a Muslim rebellion.
    He kept his troops occupied – and financed – by having them grow cotton and grain when not on duty.
    In his waning years, he was sent to South China to oversee defenses in the war with France.
    Even if not the actual namesake, he was at the center of the legend concerning the origins of the Chinese-inspired chicken dish.

Credit: Cool It All Right?


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 2 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 1 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 9 Votes: 88.89% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 3 Votes: 66.67% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 5 Votes: 40.0% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 3 Votes: 33.33% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2015, Out of 8 Votes: 62.50% Annoying
    In 2014, Out of 13 Votes: 53.85% Annoying
    In 2013, Out of 7 Votes: 57.14% Annoying
    In 2012, Out of 9 Votes: 55.56% Annoying
    In 2011, Out of 13 Votes: 69.23% Annoying
    In 2010, Out of 17 Votes: 47.06% Annoying
    In 2009, Out of 15 Votes: 26.67% Annoying