Shen Collection, Upper Volume Radical: Grass (cǎo) Cong Kangxi strokes: 20 Page 1063, Entry 24 According to the Tang Rhyme (Tangyun), this is the common form of the character for thicket. According to the Rhyme Compilation (Yunhui), the character for thicket is sometimes written as the variant form cong. According to the Biography of Xifu Gong in the History of the Former Han Dynasty (Qian Hanshu), it describes the appearance of thorns and brambles growing in dense clusters, overlapping and piled up. Furthermore, according to the Collected Rhymes (Jiyun), it is pronounced cong (falling tone). It refers to newly sprouted grass.