Zhong Chuan or Zhong Zhuan (鍾傳) (died 906), formally the Prince of Nanping (南平王), was a warlord of the late Tang dynasty, who controlled a large portion of Zhennan Circuit (鎮南, headquartered in modern Nanchang, Jiangxi, formerly known as Jiangxi (江西)) as its military governor (Jiedushi) for over 20 years.
It is not known when Zhong Chuan was born, but it is known that he was from Gao'an (高安, in modern Yichun, Jiangxi) and that he was a merchant when he was young and liked hunting.
)[1] In the 870s, the major agrarian rebel Wang Xianzhi roamed the Yangtze River region, including Jiangxi Circuit, which Zhong's home territory belonged to.
In 882, after Wang's erstwhile ally Huang Chao captured the imperial capital Chang'an and forced Emperor Xizong to flee to Chengdu, Zhong attacked Jiangxi's capital Hong Prefecture (洪州) and expelled the imperially-commissioned governor (觀察使, Guanchashi) Gao Maoqing (高茂卿).
)[4] Soon thereafter, Emperor Xizong made Zhong the military governor of Zhennan, bestowed the honorary titles of acting Taibao (太保) and Zhongshu Ling (中書令, an honorary chancellor designation) on him, and created him the Prince of Yingchuan; that latter title was later changed to Prince of Nanping.
Late in his governance, he levied heavy taxes; in response, the merchants abandoned trade routes that went through Zhennan Circuit.
[5][6] In 897, Zhong planned to attack Zhou Bei (周琲) the prefect of Ji Prefecture (吉州, in modern Ji'an, Jiangxi).