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Hu Zhao 胡昭 (162－250), courtesy name Kongming 孔明, was a private scholar of the early Three Kingdoms period 三國 (220-280).
He came from Yingchuan 穎川 (modern Yuxian 禹縣, Henan). Powerful warlords like Yuan Shao 袁紹 or Cao Cao 曹操 repeatedly tried to convince him to serve them, but Hu always declined, even the post of Minister of Work (sikong 司空) and Counsellor-in-chief (chengxiang 丞相) offered to him. Thereupon he withdrew into the wilderness of Mt. Luhun 陸渾山, where he became a hermit, ploughing the fields and living as a peasant. Hu stood in high esteem by the inhabitants of the surrounding villages.
It is said he was an expert in history and calligraphy, and his name is therefore mentioned side by side with masters as Zhong Yao 鍾繇 (151-230), Wei Ji 衛覬, Wei Dan 韋誕 or Handan Chun 邯鄲淳. He died during the uprising of Sun Lang 孫狼.