Chen Gongbo was born in northern Guangdong, Qing Empire, to Hakka peasants originally from Shanghang County, Tingzhou, western Fujian in 1892. His father was an official in the Qing Dynasty administration.
Chen Gongbo came from a rural background in northern Guangdong, under the rule of the Qing Empire, as the child of Hakka peasants who migrated from Shanghang County, Tingzhou, western Fujian, in 1892. His father held a government position within the Qing Dynasty's administration.