Gongyang Gao () was a man of the State of Qi and a disciple of Confucius and Bu Shang. He orally received the Spring and Autumn Annals from Bu Shang and transmitted it to his son, Gongyang Ping (), and it was from this transmission that the Gongyang Zhuan would be produced.
Gongyang's work would be extensively studied, but was held in lesser esteem to Guliang Chi's Guliang Zhuan following Dong Zhongshu () losing a debate in front of Emperor Xuan of Han to Duke Jiang of Xiaqu, who studied Guliang's work. Another individual, Cai Qianqiu, did the same, and was promoted. Despite this, Gongyang's work persisted and was crystallised as one of the Three Commentaries, along with the Zuo Zhuan and Guliang Zhuan.