Author: CHUNG Yoon-Ngan
Date: 03-04-03 06:32
Hakka surname YONG which is also
Yang in Hanyu pinyin
Surname Yang is the 6th most popular surname in China.
006. Surname YANG (楊)
Yang means: poplar; aspen.
The surname Yang is about 2,600 years old.
The second King of the Zhou Dynasty (周朝 1134BC to 256BC) was Zhou King Cheng (周成王) who reigned from 1115BC to 1078BC. Zhou King Cheng gave
his younger brother, Tang Shu Yu (唐叔虞), the authority to rule a district called Jin (晉 present day Yi Cheng county 翼城縣 in Shanxi province 山西省). Zhou King Cheng also bestowed upon his brother the hereditary title of Hou (侯) or Marquis. After the death of Tang Shu Yu his eldest son called Ji Zi Xie (姬子燮) succeeded him and inherited the title Hou.
During the Spring and Autumn Period (春秋時間 722BC to 481BC), in 681BC,
the King of the Zhou Dynasty was Zhou King Xi (周僖王), who reigned until 677BC. There was a civil war in the State of Jin (晉國), which lasted for twenty years from 727BC to 716BC. The ruler of the State of Jin was Ji Cheng Dai (姬稱代). Zhou King Xi rewarded Ji Cheng Dai the authority to rule a district called Yang (楊 present day in the area southeast of the village of Fan 范 in Hong Dong county 洪洞縣 in Shanxi province) for having contributed great services to the Zhou Court. Actually Ji Cheng Dai bribed Zhou King Xi to recognise him as the rightful ruler of Jin. Ji Cheng Dai, who ruled Jin until 676BC, appointed one of his sons, Bo Qiao (伯僑), the administrator of the district of Yang. Bo Qiao came to be known as Yang Bo Qiao (楊伯僑).Yang Bo Qiao fathered Wen (文) who begot Tu (突).
In 636BC, Ji Zhong Er (姬重耳) was installed as the ruler of the State of Jin and he ruled Jin until 628BC. It was during the rule Ji Zhong Er that the district of Yang was absorbed by the State of Jin. A few years later Ji Zhong Er rewarded his highly respected official Yang-She Xi (羊-舌肸) the administrator of the district of Yang.
The children of Tu were unhappy over the whole affair and they adopted YANG as their surname, in remembrance of their beloved former district that their ancestors once ruled.
The surname Yang originated in an area referred to during the Han Dynasty (漢朝
206BC to 220AD) as the Hong Nong Prefecture (弘農郡). The present day location of Hong Nong Prefecture is in an area about 40 kilometers south of Ling Bao county (靈寶縣 112.9 degree East and 35.2 degree North in the world map) in Henan province (河南省)
The couplet for surname Yang is,
四 知 世 澤
三 相 家 聲
and
天 錫 鴻 禧
人 修 駿 德
Historical famous figures produced by the Yang clan
(1) 楊貴妃 (Yang Gui Fei )
In 713AD Li Long Ji (李隆基) was crowned as Emperor Xuan Zong (玄宗)
of the Tang Dynasty (唐朝 618AD to 907AD). Emperor Xuan Zong, who was
also known as Tang Ming Huang (唐明皇), regined from 713AD to 755AD).
The period of his rule was regarded as the second golden age of the Tang
Dynasty.
Tang Ming Huang had a passion for young, beautiful girls. Since his
coronation he had been searching, but without success, for the most
beautiful girl in the land.
A family in his empire by the surname of Yang (楊) was to play a ominous role
during his rule. The Yang family had a very beautiful teenage daughter, Yang
Yu Huan (楊玉環), a fact not known to many people. Since she was not about
to be bethrothed to any young man her father sent her to work as a lady-in-waiting
in the Emperor's Palace. She was the most beautiful girl ever to step foot in the palace. One of the many sons of the Emperor soon married her.
Many years later, one day, Tang Ming Huang accidentally met his daughter-in-law
in the palace. At that time Tang Ming Huang was already 61 years old and Yang Yu Huan was only 26. He was immediately enamoured to her and snatched her
away from his son. He adored her so much that he made her a Gui Fei (貴妃),
first class concubine, and Yang Yu Huan was come to be known as Yang Gui
Fei (楊貴妃).
Just a smile from her was said to be enough to enchant and enrapture
the Emperor. He loved her dearly and more than anything else in the world.
He built her a natural warm spring pool so that she could take her bath at
Spring time. After her bath in the pool her body, reputedly, would look as
smooth as jade.
溫泉水滑洗凝脂﹐侍兒扶起嬌無力。
During Spring time court officials were made to wait lengthy periods to
get an audience with the Emperor as Yang Gui Fei took up almost all his
time and attention.
Yang Gui Fei's brothers and sisters were appointed to high offices by
the decree of Tang Ming Huang. Gradually members of her family gained
enornomous power in the Tang Court. Her first cousin older brother, Yang
Guo Zhong (楊國忠), became the Prime Minister and held more than forty
portfolios. However, he was very corrupt and amassed great fortunes. People envied the Yang family for producing such a beautiful daughter. Due to the glory and wealth that Yang Gui Fei had brought to her family many families preferred
to have baby girls than baby boys. They hoped that one day their daughters
could follow Yang Gui Fei's footsteps and became the favourite concubine
of an Emperor.
The Emperor's excesses and obsessions with his beloved concubine brought
about the gross neglect of affairs of the state.
An Lu Shan (安祿山), the non-Han Chinese commander-in-chief and governor of Fan Yang (范陽 present day Beijing 北京 city in Hebei province 河北省) had the occasion to visit the capital, Chang An (長安 present day Xi An 西安 city in Shaanxi province 陜西省). An Lu Shan could clearly observe the corruption among the Emperor's officials, especially the Prime Minister and the decay of the Tang Court. He reported the matters to the Emperor who, however, refused to believe him. The Prime Minister came to know about this. An Lu Shan shortly went back to Fan Yang but he had made a formidable enemy, Yang Guo Zhong, who vowed to destroy him.
One day, to instigate a rebellion by An Lu Shan against the Tang Court,
the Yang Guo Zhong, Prime Minister sent troops to ransack a house that
belonged An Lu Shan. In the process the soldiers also killed a few of An
Lu Shan's friends. That enraged An Lu Shan who was left with no option but
to retaliate.
With 170,000 troops under his command An Lu Shan marched west to the
Tang capital, to take puntitive action against Yang Guo Zhong who thought
that he could take this opportunity to get rid of An Lu Shan. However, it
seemed that An Lu Shan and his forces were unstoppable. They crossed
the Yellow River, overran Luo Yang (洛陽) and turned west marching towards
Chang An. The Tang Court fled in panic as the Tang Ming Huang ordered a
mass evacuation. Soon after, An Lu Shan occupied the capital and razed it to
the ground.
Tang Ming Huang and his Court, together with thousands upon thousands of
residents from the capital, fled southwest towards Cheng Du (成都 present day
Cheng Du city in Sichuan province 四川省).
Arriving at a place called Ma Wei Po (馬嵬坡 present day Xing Ping county
興平縣 in Shaanxi province) about 100 kilometers from the capital, the retreating army and the mass of people stopped and refused to go any further. They demanded the death of the Emperor's concubine, Yang Gui Fei and her elder brother Yang Guo Zhong, the Prime Minister. Under such extreme circumstances Tang Ming Huang had no alternative but to issue an order to have them executed.
The execution of the Prime Minister was carried out instantly. Yang Gui
Fei was to be executed by hanging from a tree in a nearby hill. While being
led up the hill Yang Gu Fei cried and begged,
"Save me, save me, Your Majesty! Save me, save me, Your Majesty!"
However, the exodus shouted,
"Hang her! Hang her! Hang her!"
There was a big commotion and the great multitude were looking at Tang
Ming Huang awaiting for his reaction. Tang Ming Huang was powerless to
help his Gui Fei and very relunctently he gave the order to proceed.
Suddenly the crowd were quiet. Not a sound was heard when the noose was
placed around her neck. Tang Ming Huang hung his head and buried his face
in his dragon robes. He dared not look at the execution and tears welled in his eyes. 君王掩面救不得﹐回看血淚相和流. As soon as Yang Gui Fei had kicked her bucket the crowd roar. Her jewellery was scattered all over but no one bothered to pick them up. The people had condemned her as well as the jewellery she wore.
While the Tang Court took refuge in Cheng Du the lovelorn Emperor was
pining away. At times he could not bear to look at the full moon as it
reminded him of the joyous occasions he shared with his Gu Fei. He lost
his vitality to continue as Emperor.
In 756AD Tang Ming Huang abdicated the throne and his third son, Li Heng
(李亨), was installed as Emperor Su Zong (肅宗).
The rebellions were eventually crushed and the Tang Court began to
move back to Chang An. On the way back to the capital at the spot where
Yang Gui Fei was hung, the ex-Emperor stopped and lingered for what
seemed like eternity. He seemed to be searching for his beautiful Gui Fei.
He could not find the place where she was buried. He recited the secret
phrases which no one knew except her and him,
在天願作比翼鳥﹐ 在地願為連理枝。
"Up above the sky we wish we were a pair of birds
On earth we wish we were the two branches of a tree."
Finally when the time came to be moving on, Tang Ming Huang left behind
his tears but not his sadness.
春風桃李花開日﹐秋雨梧桐葉落時。
Back at the capital, the natural warm spring pool was still there and
intact, as were the flowers and trees. It was as if he had not left the
palace at all. But reality soon hit home. His beautiful Gui Fei was no
more. He grieved and longed for her and he was losing his will to live. He
wished he could see her in his dreams every night. He engaged a soothsayer
to search for her spirit but appear it did not, not even just once.
天長地久有時盡﹐ 此恨綿棉無絕期。
A translation from the Tang poem
"Chang Hen Ge 長恨歌" by Bai Ju Yi (白居易)
(2) 楊震 (Yang Zhen 50AD to 124AD)
Yang Zhen was born in the present day county of Hua Yang (華陽縣) in Shaanxi province (陜西省). He was a great scholar and people nicknamed him the Guan Xi Confucius (關西孔子). He was an official during the Eatern Han Dynasty (東漢朝 25AD to 220AD). He was appointed the magistrate of Dong Lai precture (東萊郡)
in Shandong province (山東省). While on his way to take up his new position from Shaanxi province to Shandong province he passed through the county of Channg Yi (昌邑縣) in Shandong province. The District Officer of Chang Yi county was Wang Mi (王密). Previously Yang Zhen recommended Wang Mi to the government to appoint Wang Mi as an official. Later Wang Mi was appointed the Distrct Officer of Chang Yi county.
In order to show his respect and gratitude towards Yang Zhen, that evening, Wang Mi brought ten taels of gold to see his mentor. On seeing that the gold was for him Yang Zhen was unhappy and he told Wang Mi off for bribing him. Yang Zhen reminded Wang Mi that he was a clean and uncorrupted magistrate. Wang Mi told Yang Zhen quietly that it was in the middle of the night and no one knew what they were doing. On hearing this, Yang Zhen was so angry that he screamed at Wang Mi saying: "In this matter, You know, I know, Heaven knows and Earth knows, 你知﹐我知﹐天知﹐地知. How come he say no one knows!" Wang Mi was frightened and he went off with his gold.
To respect his honesty and an uncorrupted magistrate people called Yang Zhen Mr Four Knows or 四知先生" Years later, the offspring of Yang Zhen named their clan the Yang of "Four Knows Clan 四知堂", after the honesty of their ancestor Yang Zhen.
(3) Yang Jian (楊堅)
Yang Jian was the Prime Minister of the Northern Zhou Dynasty (北周朝 556AD to 581AD). His daughter was the wife of Emperor Yuwen Yun (宇文贇皇帝). In 581AD he usurped the throne of Northern Zhou and esblished his own dynasty the Sui Dynasty (隋朝 581AD to 618AD). In 605AD Yang Jian was murdered by his own son Yang Guang (楊廣) who became the second Emperor of the Sui Dynasty. Yang Guang constructed the longest man-made canal in the world. The throne of Sui Dynasty was usurped by Li Yuan (李淵) in 618AD. Li Yuan fonded the Tang Dynasty (唐朝 618AD to 907AD).
(4) Yang Ye (楊業), the founder of the legendary "The Seven Generals of the Yang Family 楊家七將", was a renowed general of the Song Dynasty (宋朝 960AD to 1279AD). He was 60 years old when he was captured by the northern invaders,.
He refused to surrender and went on hunger strike until he died. Several of his sons also died in battles defending their country. His wife and daughter-in-law led armies to do battles with the invaders. Several films were made to protray the heroism of Yang Ye's family.
CHUNG Yoon-Ngan ( 鄭永元)
All rights reserved 2003
Yoon-Ngan
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