Enlai's Childhood

Zhou Enlai's family were originally from Shaoxing of Zhejiang province. His ancestors moved to Huai'an of Jiangsu province (today's Chuzhou District). Zhou Enlai, named Daluan as his infant name and styled Xiangyu, was born into a declining feudal bureaucrat family in Fuma Lane, Huai'an City on March 5, 1898. Zhou Panlong, Zhou's grandfather, once served as magistrate governing Shanyang county. When Zhou Enlai was born, his family had already declined. His father Zhou Yineng (later renamed Zhou Shaogang) worked as a clerk in other provinces all year around and had a slender income. And his father was often out of work. His birth mother Wan Dong'er was the daughter of Wan Qingxuan, magistrate of Qinghe county. She was a kind-hearted, bright, smart and decisive woman. When Zhou Enlai was less than one year old, he was adopted by his father's youngest brother. His adoptive father died soon after the adoption, and Zhou Enlai was raised by his adoptive mother whose surname was Chen (his adoptive father's wife). Madame Chen was from a poor scholarly family, who was a gentle woman of great talent and learning and devoted herself to fostering Zhou Enlai. Zhou Enlai received good family education from his adoptive mother. In his childhood, he studied in the family school of the Zhou family, the family school of the Wan family in Huaiyin (toady's Qinghe District) and the family school in Chen Family Garden in succession. After his birth mother and adoptive mother died successively, his father found a job in Hubei. The ten-year-old Zhou Enlai had to bear the heavy burden of managing household affairs. He with his two little brothers experienced hardships and inconstancy of human relationships extremely. He once studied in the family school of Gong Yinsun, his mother's cousin and was enlightened by the reform thought of Gong Yinsun. These are the primers he read and the stationery he used.