宗启騄

Zong Qilu was born into a prominent family in Qiantang County, Hangzhou Prefecture. He belonged to the "Qi" generation and had more than a dozen siblings. His grandfather was a descendant of Zong Ze, the famous Southern Song general who resisted the Jin dynasty, making him the 28th generation descendant. Since migrating to Hangzhou during the Southern Song period, the Zong family has thrived locally, forming the Qiantang Zong clan.

Zong Qilu’s father was Zong Jixian, born in Qiantang County, Hangzhou Prefecture. He served as an official in Wuhan and Guangxi, and was responsible for writing the Guangdong-Hunan Railway regulations. Later, he gained the appreciation of Zhang Zuolin and held positions such as Deputy Minister of Finance in the Northeast and acting governor of a province. His mother was Wang Shuzhen, of the Manchu banner Yellow Flag. She held the noble title of princess (Gege) and had once been director of the Beijing Post Office. Wang Shuzhen graduated from Hangzhou Normal School, taught at an elementary school run by the Zhejiang Business Association, and retired in 1979.

Zong Qilu graduated from the Department of Chemistry at a Chinese university. Early in his career, through the recommendation of his second older brother, who served as Secretary-General of Suqian County government in Jiangsu, he obtained a small position in Suqian County. Due to suboptimal conditions and pregnancy complications in Suqian, Wang Shuzhen came to reside temporarily at the home of Zong Qilu’s fifth brother in Xuzhou just before giving birth. His son, Zong Qinghou, was born on October 11, 1945. His name was chosen auspiciously, and he weighed nine jin at birth.

After the war, Zong Qilu moved to Nanjing, where he worked in a civil position at the Nanjing Post Office System, leading a simple and stable life. In the autumn of 1949, he discussed with his wife Wang Shuzhen and decided to resign from his position at the Nanjing Postal Bureau and move to Hangzhou. Upon arriving in Hangzhou, he attempted to engage in logistics and cultural tutoring but was not successful as hoped.

Among Zong Qilu’s family members, his second older brother served as Secretary-General of Jiangsu Suqian County government. His wife, Wang Shuzhen, taught at an elementary school until her retirement in 1979. He had five children: his eldest son, Zong Qinghou, began his entrepreneurial ventures in 1964 and became one of the founders of Wahaha Group, also being a three-time “China’s Richest Person.” His younger brother, Zong Zehou, was born in 1982 and was an early investor in Wahaha. The other children, including Zong Duanhou, Zong Yuhou, and Zong Rui, also hold significant positions in various companies.

Zong Qilu's life spanned multiple eras, marked by a prominent family background, with his descendants active in business and corporate management.