zhang

plural zhangs

1. uncountableusuallyA traditional Chinese unit of length, 10 Chinese feet or ¹/₁₅₀ Chinese mile.

alternative Jhang · alternative Chang

1. A surname from Chinese.

   Zhang Yitang, a Chinese mathematician

   2 more examples

   Zhang Xueliang, whose name was also rendered Chang Hsueh-liang, was born in 1901 in Manchuria. His father, Zhang Zuolin, a leading warlord known as "the Old Marshal," was assassinated in 1928 by the Japanese. "The Young Marshal" emerged in his place as one of the most powerful military figures in China.

   2001 October 19, Nicholas Kristof, “Zhang Xueliang, 100, Dies; Warlord and Hero of China”, in The New York Times, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 24 Oct 2009, World

   China announced on Saturday that Zhang Youxia, second-in-command under President Xi Jinping as vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission, and another senior officer, Liu Zhenli, were under investigation for suspected serious violations of discipline and law.[…] Zhang has long been seen as Xi's closest military ally, and is one of the few senior Chinese officers with combat experience, having taken part in the 1979 border conflict with Vietnam.

   2026 January 26, Ben Blanchard, Roger Tung, “Taiwan monitoring 'abnormal' China military leadership changes after top general put under investigation”, in Michael Perry, editor, Reuters, archived from the original on 26 Jan 2026

   Synonyms: Cheung

alternative Chang

1. A surname from Chinese.

alternative Chang

1. A river in Shanxi, Henan and Hebei, China.

   2 more examples

   Until the recent construction of a system of roads, the Wei River was northern Henan Province's principal link with the outside world, connecting it with the Grand Canal and thence the city of Tianjin and the sea.[...]In addition, just to the northwest of the county lies the tempestuous Zhang River; usually shallow, it becomes a raging torrent during heavy monsoon rains, flooding the border area of northern Henan and southern Hebei provinces.

   1996, Peter J. Seybolt, “Introduction: Houhua Village in Space and Time”, in Throwing the Emperor from His Horse: Portrait of a Village Leader in China, 1923-1995, Westview Press, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, page 10

   During the hot, dry month of August 1992 the farmers of Baishan village in Hebei province and Panyang village in Henan came to blows. Residents from each village hurled insults and rudimentary explosives at the other across the Zhang River – the river that feeds the Red Flag Canal Irrigation System and forms the border between the two provinces.

   2015 September 3, David Pietz, “How History Shaped China's Water Crisis”, in The Diplomat, archived from the original on 06 Sep 2015

2. A river in Fujian, China.