Zeng Dian, courtesy name Xi, was the great-grandson of Prince Wu of Wu, the father of Zong Shen, and one of the early disciples of Confucius.

The Analects of Confucius records that he, Zilu, Ran You, and Gong Xihua were sitting with Confucius and talking about their personal interests. Five or six like-minded adults took six or seven teenagers with them to take a bath in the Yi River, enjoy the breeze on the dance platform, and then come back singing. After hearing this, Confucius praised him greatly and sighed: You think the same as me! When Ji Wuzi, an official of the Lu State, died, he once offered condolences by "leaning on his door and singing", and was called a madman of Lu.