The Origin of your Surname
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One of the earliest origins for surname Zhang was during the rule of the first legendary emperor Huang-di (Yellow Emperor) in Chinese mythology. Hui, the fifth son of Huang-di, was attributed to be the inventor of the bow -- an important weapon in the Chinese military arsenal -- and his descendants were bestowed the surname of Zhang (character representing to stretch a bow).
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Tuatau,
Thks for sharing the interesting info. I had initially thought that the southerners refer to themselves as Tang ppl because it was during the Tang dynasty that the region was fully assimilated. The Han dynasty influence did not extend much beyond the Chang Jiang and certainly not to the Guang Dong and Fujien regions.
I found the following from this web site which give some related info;
http://www.google.com.sg/url?sa=U&start=2&q=http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Name-of-China-in-various-languages&e=9707
The name Tang (ÌÆ pinyin: t¨¢ng, Cantonese: tong4) comes from the Tang Dynasty, who presided over one of China's golden ages. It was during the Tang Dynasty that South China was finally and fully Sinicized; hence it is usually South Chinese who refer to themselves as "Tang". For example, Chinatowns worldwide are usually dominantly Cantonese; they are hence referred to generally as Tongyankai (ÌÆÈË½Ö pinyin: t¨¢ngr¨¦nji¨¥), or "Street of Tang People". The name Tongsau (ÌÆÊÖ) (a form of martial arts similar to karate) also originates from the same source. Cantonese people may also use Tang to refer exclusively to Cantonese themselves. -
Originally posted by suntze:
suntze, thanks for the link. You are right, in fact I think our information sources are complementary to each other.
Thks for sharing the interesting info. I had initially thought that the southerners refer to themselves as Tang ppl because it was during the Tang dynasty that the region was fully assimilated. The Han dynasty influence did not extend much beyond the Chang Jiang and certainly not to the Guang Dong and Fujien regions.
The southern provinces from Yunnan to Fujian were indeed for a time ruled by autonomous "Nan Man" (southern barbarian) nations which paid regular tributes to the Central Plains monarchy up till the Tang Dynasty. The peace was uneasy and some of these nations, like Da Li in Yunnan, broke free from central government again during the chaotic end years of the Tang Dynasty. -
What about She3n?
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For the surname Shen with the water radical, one early origin could be traced to the Ji clan, who claimed descent from China's first legendary emperor Huang-di (Yellow Emperor) in Chinese mythology. After the death of King Wu (Zhou Wuwang) in the Zhou Dynasty, young King Cheng (Zhou Chengwang) ascended the throne and his uncle Fourth Prince was appointed regent. The son of deposed King Zhou (Shang Zhouwang) sought revenge for his father and incited a rebellion against the young king. The rebels were crushed by General Ji Zai, and the general, who also happened to be King Cheng's uncle Tenth Prince, was bestowed the state of Shen for his meritorious deeds. Shen was conquered by the state of Cai during the Spring and Autumn period, and Ji Zai's descendants fled to the state of Chu, adopting the surname of Shen after their homeland.
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Can u give more details for Wong? As in Yellow..not the same like Faye Wong's surname.. In addition, how about Yng?
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Originally posted by alexkusu:
Glad to help, but give me details on the details you need:
Can u give more details for Wong? As in Yellow..not the same like Faye Wong's
surname.. In addition, how about Yng?
Was there anything in the post for Huang (representing yellow) that you didn't understand? What about Huang would you like to know more of?
Yng? You mean Ying? Ying was the surname of Shih Huang-ti (Qin Shihuang), first emperor of the Qin Dynasty. Please refer to the post for Qin for Ying's roots:
http://www.sgforums.com/?action=thread_display&thread_id=133720&page=0 -
The post of Wong was quite brief..I oni read bout wong clan bein defeated, etc.. not really much detail compared to other surnames. Also most foochews have surnames Wong...n they come from Fujian province.Why is that? Sorry, I dun really knw much bout chinese history..except from the novel Romance of the 3 Kingdoms n films like HeroOriginally posted by Tuatau:Glad to help, but give me details on the details you need:
Was there anything in the post for Huang (representing yellow) that you didn't understand? What about Huang would you like to know more of?
Yng? You mean Ying? Ying was the surname of Shih Huang-ti (Qin Shihuang), first emperor of the Qin Dynasty. Please refer to the post for Qin for Ying's roots:
http://www.sgforums.com/?action=thread_display&thread_id=133720&page=0
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Originally posted by alexkusu:
Haha... Before I am accused of showing favouritism, let me reassure that the post on the surname Huang (representing yellow) was brief because the source I was quoting from was originally brief. I did not cut anything short from there.
The post of Wong was quite brief..I oni read bout wong clan bein defeated, etc.. not really much detail compared to other surnames. Also most foochews have surnames Wong...n they come from Fujian province.Why is that? Sorry, I dun really knw much bout chinese history..except from the novel Romance of the 3 Kingdoms n films like Hero 
To make it up, maybe I could throw in a legend in Chinese mythology about Bo Yi, the founder of the Ying clan which was the origin of Huang I chose to quote:
Legend has it that Emperor Zhuanxu -- the successor of the first legendary emperor Huang-di (Yellow Emperor) -- had a granddaughter named Nuu Xiu. One day, Nuu Xiu was weaving at home when a swallow flew in through the window and dropped an egg in front of her. Seized by an unknown impulse, Nuu Xiu used her mouth to catch the egg and swallowed it into her stomach. She miraculously became pregnant and gave birth to Da Ye, who was the grandfather of Bo Yi.
The reason why there are many people from the Fujian province bearing the surname Huang could be attributed to one of the pioneer fathers of Fujian, Huang Tang. At the end of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, a major faction of the Huang clan led by Huang Tang, moved from Jiangxi to colonise and develop the relatively backward Fujian, and the settlement of many Huang families there may have resulted in Huang being a popular surname in that province. -
Haha. sounds quite like me.. always trying to be the hero. but then in the end kana whack left right centre for my efforts.Originally posted by Tuatau:For the surname Shen with the water radical, one early origin could be traced to the Ji clan, who claimed descent from China's first legendary emperor Huang-di (Yellow Emperor) in Chinese mythology. After the death of King Wu (Zhou Wuwang) in the Zhou Dynasty, young King Cheng (Zhou Chengwang) ascended the throne and his uncle Fourth Prince was appointed regent. The son of deposed King Zhou (Shang Zhouwang) sought revenge for his father and incited a rebellion against the young king. The rebels were crushed by General Ji Zai, and the general, who also happened to be King Cheng's uncle Tenth Prince, was bestowed the state of Shen for his meritorious deeds. Shen was conquered by the state of Cai during the Spring and Autumn period, and Ji Zai's descendants fled to the state of Chu, adopting the surname of Shen after their homeland.
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How about Jiang? The one with the 3 dots and a "Gong" as in "work". Lol =x
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Jiang (representing river) shared similar origins with the surnames Qin and Huang (representing yellow) in the Ying clan. The Ying clan's origin could be traced to a noble Bo Yi who, as earlier mentioned, served the legendary emperor Shun. The state of Jiang was founded in the early years of the Zhou Dynasty by yet another faction of the clan. During the Spring and Autumn period, many small states were conquered and annexed by the dominant state of Chu and Jiang was one such state. The citizens of the former sovereign state then took up the surname of Jiang in remembrance of their destroyed homeland.