Chen Collection, Middle Volume Radical: Tree (mù) 棠 Kangxi strokes: 12 Page 533, Entry 14 Pronounced táng Sometimes also written in a variant form. Book of Rites (Guangyun), Anthology of Rhymes (Jiyun), Rhyme Meetings (Yunhui), Correct Rhymes (Zhengyun): Pronounced tang. Approaching Elegance (Erya), Explanation of Trees: The du, or sweet pear tree. Guo Pu commentary: The present-day du-pear; the red variety is called red pear, and the white variety is also called pear. Book of Odes (Shijing), Shao South: The flourishing and beautiful sweet pear tree. Commentary on Plants and Trees: The sweet pear is the present-day wild pear; its fruit is white, slightly sour, smooth, tender, and delicious. The red pear has fruit that is astringent and sour, flavorless, with wood that is hard and resilient, suitable for making the backbone of a bow. Also, sand-pear, a name for a tree. Its taste resembles a plum, and it has no core. Master Lu’s Spring and Autumn Annals (Lushi Chunqiu): Among fruits with excellent flavors is the fruit of the sand-pear. Also, its wood can be used to build boats. Li Bai, Poem Inscribed at the North Bridge Tower in Xinjin: Using magnolia wood for oars, and sand-pear wood for the boat. Also refers to the horizontal wood on the sides of a carriage box. Explanation of Names (Shiming): Tang, meaning to block. Acts as a shield on the sides of the carriage box, preventing the carriage from advancing or retreating at will. Also a place name in the State of Lu. Spring and Autumn Annals (Chunqiu), Fifth Year of Duke Yin: Duke Yin of Lu fished at Tang. Also Luo Tang, the name of a mountain. The place where the sun sets. Huainanzi, Summary of the Dark (Minglan Xun): The sun sets into Luo Tang Mountain. Also a surname. Zuo Tradition (Zuozhuan): Tang Wujiu, a grand master of the State of Qi. Also a double-character surname. Book of Rites (Guangyun): The younger brother of the King of Wu, King Fugai, fled to the State of Chu and became the Tangxi clan.