The state existed during the time of the Zhou dynasty (1046–256 BC) and had territory in the area around Suizhou in modern Hubei province.

The center of the territory of Zeng was in the western part of Suizhou[2] and findings indicate that the area reached up to the south west border of Henan province.

[3] The area was also an important transport route between Chinese Central Plateau and the copper findings at the middle Yangtze.

[1] In most of the earliest Chinese historical annals, Sui was the only state mentioned in the actual area around Suizhou in Hubei during the time for Eastern Zhou.

[3] A large number of findings with inscriptions of "Zeng" were found after 1949 in the territory of former Sui; this confirmed the speculation.