Author: CHUNG Yoon Ngan
Date: 04-12-12 01:41
中國姓氏故事 - 文姓
再好月光不當火, Zai4 hao3 yue4 guang bu4 dang huo3,
再好家婆不當娘. Zai4 hao3 jia po2 bu4 dang niang2.
Even though the moon is very bright, it is not taken as fire,
However good is the mother-in-law, she is not considered as the mother.
A Chinese proverb
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Surname WEN (文)
Wen means: word; writing; writing.
The surname Wen is about 3,000 years old.
The surname Wen originated in an area referred to during the Warring States
Period (戰國時代 453BC to 221BC) as the Yanmen prefecture (雁門郡). The
present day location of Yanmen prefecture is in Dai county (代縣, 112.9
degree East and 39.1 degree North on the world map) of Shanxi province (山
西省).
Ji Chang (姬昌), the leader of the Zhou Clan (周族) who lived in the western
region near the river of Wei (渭 in the present day western part of Shaanxi
province 陜西省), was highly educated and very talented. He was also charismatic
and highly respected by his people. To them he was their Sage.
It was during the reign of Shang King Zhou (商紂王1154BC to 1122BC), the
28th King of the Shang Dynasty (商朝 1783BC to 1122BC) that Ji Chang was
obliged to serve in the Shang Court, as his domain was under the jurisdiction
of the Shang Dynasty. He was appointed by Shang King Zhou as an advisor
and one of his many sons named Ji Kao (姬考) was to become his assistant.
King Zhou was a very clever and capable King. He married Su Daji (蘇妲己
), the most beautiful woman in the land. The couple neglected the welfare
of the country. Shang King Zhou built many big palaces and in the process
spent the entire wealth of the treasury. Shang King Zhou became wicked and
cruel, and began killing or torturing anyone who dared to disagree with
him and with his spending habits.
Zi Weiqi (子微啟), Shang King Zhou's half brother (same father but different
mother) tried to advise him not to be too lavish on luxuries. Shang King
Zhou reacted by expelling him from the country. Zi Weiqi went to live with
the Zhou people.
Zi Bigan (子畢干), Shang King Zhou's uncle, also tried to advise him not
to be too lavish on luxuries. Zi Bigan went on to say that as a King he
should listen to the advice from his officials, have mercy on his subjects,
should not spend so much time with his wife and neglect the affairs of the
country. King Zhou was furious and had Zi Bigan executed.
Ji Chang also advised King Zhou on the difficult financial position of the
country. Shang King Zhou would not listen to him. Instead he had Ji Chang
imprisoned and his son Ji Kao killed. Ji Chang was imprisoned for three
years in Youli (羑里which is to this day present day located north of Tangyin
county 湯陰縣 of Henan province 河南省). During this period the Zhou people
had to send Shang King Zhou gifts of jewelry, beautiful girls, cattle and
horses in exchange of Ji Chang's release. Eventually Ji Chang was released,
returned to his home land and died soon after.
Ji Fa (姬發), the eldest son of Ji Chang, was installed as the leader of
the Zhou people. Twelve years later in 1122BC, Ji Fa destroyed the Shang
Dynasty and established the Zhou Dynasty (1134BC to 256BC). Ji Fa was installed
Zhou King Wu (周武王), the first King of the Zhou Dynasty. Zhou King Wu
honoured his father Ji Chang as Zhou King Wen (周文王).
Generations later a few of Ji Chang's offspring adopted WEN (文), the posthumous
title of Zhou King Wen, as their surname.
The couplet of surname Wen:
姓啟文王,---Xing4 qi2 Wen Wang,
望出雁門.---Wang4 chu Yanmen.
The progenitor of surname WEN was Zhou King Wen,
It began to spread from Yanmen
...............................................................
The most prominent persons produced by the WEN Clan
(1 文天祥 (1236AD to 1283AD)
In 1268AD, the Mongolian began to conquer the Song Dynasty. Wen Tianxiang
(文天祥), the last Prime Minister of Song Dynasty. He was captured by the
Mongolian troops at Wupoling (五坡嶺 present day Haifeng 海豐 and Lufeng
(陸豐) in Guangdong province (廣東省). He was sent back to Dadu (大都 present
day Beijing 北京 city in Hebei province 河北省) where he was executed because
he refused to surrender and work for the Mongols. While he was being transported
to Dadu, Wen Tianxiang wrote this famous poem when he passed through the
Pearl River.
過零丁洋
辛苦遭逢起一經﹐干戈寥落四周星。
山河烘d碎風拋絮﹐身世飄搖雨打萍。
皇恐灘頭說皇恐﹐零丁洋裏嘆零丁。
人生自古誰無死﹐留取丹心照汗青﹗
Wen Tianxiang was reminiscing of how, four years ago, he raised an army
to fight the Mongols in Ganshui (贛水 or River Gan 贛江) at Huangkongtan
(皇恐灘) in Jiangxi province (江西省), and the many battles he had fought.
While in prison in Dadu and before he was executed he wrote a famous essay
titled "Zheng Qi Ge" (正氣哥 or The Song of Uprightness)
He wrote this poem before he was executed:
人生自古誰無死,---Ren2 sheng zi4 gu3 shui2 wu2 si3,
留得丹心照汗青.---Liu2 de2 dan xin zhao4 han4 qing.
From time immemorial, what man was ever immune from death?
Let me but leave a loyal heart shining in the pages of history.
To know the biography of Wen Tianxiang, please read,
http://baike.baidu.com/view/5927.htm
..........................................................................
(2) Wen Zhengming (文徵明 1470AD to 1559AD)
He was a leading Ming Dynasty (明朝1368AD to 1644AD) painter, calligrapher,
and scholar.
Born in present-day Suzhou (蘇州) in Jiangsu province (江蘇省), he claimed
to be a descendant of the Song Dynasty prime minister and patriot Wen Tianxiang
(文天祥). Wen’s family was originally from Hengyang (衡陽) in Hunan province(
湖南省), where his family had established itself shortly after the 10th
century. Not until the time of Wen's great-grandfather, Wen Hui 文揮, a
military officer, did the family move to the Suzhou area.
Wen often chose painting subjects of great simplicity, like a single tree
or rock. His work often brings about a feeling of strength through isolation,
which often reflected his discontent with official life. Many of his works
also celebrate the contexts of elite social life for which they were created.
He collaborated in the design of the Humble Administrator's Garden, generally
considered one of China's four greatest gardens.
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Posted to asiawind.com
By CHUNG Yoon-Ngan (鄭永元)
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