Author: CHUNG Yoon Ngan
Date: 04-17-12 12:16
中國姓氏故事 - 趙姓
幸生太平無事日,---Xing4 sheng tai2 ping2 wu2 shi4 ri4,
恐逢年老不多時.---Kong3 feng2 nian2 lao3 bu4 duo shi2.
One was lucky to be born in peaceful time,
One should not be afraid of not living to old age.
有幸生在太平盛世，不知道到老了還是不是這麼好。
.
A Chinese proverb
...............................................................
Surname ZHAO (趙姓)
Zhao means: "to go away rapidly".
The surname Zhao is about 2,900 years old.
The surname Zhao originated in an area referred to during the Han Dynasty
as the Tianshui prefecture (天水郡). The present day location of Tianshui
prefecture is in the southwest of Tongwei county (西南通渭縣 105.2 degree
East and 35.4 degree North on the world map) in Gansu province (甘肅省).
Zhou King Mu (周穆王 1001BC to 947BC) was the fifth King of the Zhou Dynasty
(周朝1134BC to 256BC). Zhou King Mu employed Zao Fu (造父), who was a person
of all trades, as a horse trainer. Zao Fu was found to be a good horse trainer
and an excellent chariot driver too. Eventually, Zao Fu became the King's
favourite chariot driver.
To reward Zao Fu for being a good employee Zhou King Mu appointing him mayor
of a city called Zhao (趙 in the present day location north of the county
of Hongdong 洪東縣 in Shanxi province 山西省). Zao Fu adopted ZHAO as his
surname and was the progenitor of surname Zhao.
Seven generations later, Zhao Shudai (趙叔帶), a descendant of Zao Fu, disliked
Zhou King You (周幽王 781BC to 771BC), the thirteenth King, for being a
wicked ruler. Zhao Shudai moved to live in the State of Jin (晉國 present
day Yicheng county 翼城縣 in Shanxi province). Zhao Shudai was employed
as an official by Ji Chou (姬仇), the 11th ruler of Jin. As a result of
this self-imposed exile, the Zhao clan was effectively relocated to the State
of Jin.
Nine generations after Zhao Shudai, in 463BC, Zhao Wuxu (趙無卹), a descendant
of Zao Fu, became one of the most powerful generals in the State of Jin.
Ten years later, in 453BC, General Zhao exploited this power by plotting
with two of the most powerful families in the State, the family of Han (韓
) and the family of Wei (魏), to carve up the State of Jin into three States.
They became the State of Zhao (趙國 first in the present day of Taiyuan
太原 city and later shifted to Handan 邯鄲 city in Hebei province 河北省
), the State of Wei (魏國 in the present day county of Anyi 安邑縣 in Shanxi
province) and the State of Han (韓國 in present day county of Linfen 臨汾
縣 in Shanxi province).
Their decision to carve up the State of Jin plunged China into more than
200 years of war between many mutually hostile States, a period of Chinese
history referred to by historians as The Warring States Period (戰國時代
453BC to 221BC).
In 228BC, the State of Zhao was eventually conquered by the State of Qin
(秦國 in the present day county of Fengxiang 鳳翔縣 in Shaanxi province
陜西省). In 221BC, the State of Qin absorbed all the other States in the
land and the Qin Dynasty (秦朝221BC to 207BC) was established. It was during
this period that The Great Wall was constructed, by unifying several pre-existing
walls.
After the extinction of the State of Zhao, members of the royal Zhao family
scattered to three places: Tianshui (天水) and Dongwu (東武) cities in Shaanxi
province and Handan city in Hebei province. Of the remnants of the Zhao
clan, those who lived in Tianshui were the direct offspring of Zhao Jia
(趙嘉), the last ruler of the State of Zhao.
The couplet of surname Zhao is;
雖周姓是親,---Sui Zhou xing4 shi4 qing4,
不如我同姓.---Bu4 ru2 wo3 tong2 xing4
Although the surname of Zhou is our relative,
Sharing the same surname is better.
趙姓始祖得幸于周穆王, 賜以趙城
Zhao xing4 shi3 zu3 de2 xing4 yu2 Zhou Mu Wang, ci4 yi3 Zhao Cheng
The ancestor of the Zhao surname was fortunate to have been rewarded by
Zhou King Mu (1001BC to 947BC) to rule the walled city of Zhao.
During the Han Dynasty (漢朝 206BC to 220AD) Tianshui was proclaimed a prefecture
where surname Zhao is said to have originated.
.........................................................
The prominent persons produced by the Zhao clan.
(1) Zhao Kuangyin (趙匡胤927AD to 976AD)
Zhao Kuangyin (趙匡胤) was from the county of Zhuozhou (涿州縣) in Hebei
province (河北省). He was a commander-in-chief of the armed forces of the
Later Zhou Dynasty (後周 951AD to 960AD). On the New Year day of 960AD report
was received that the army of Qidan (Khitan 契丹 later it was called Liao
遼) in the Northeast were marching towards the capital Bianjing (汴京 the
present day city of Kaifeng 貽d封市 in Henan province 河南省). The Prime
Minister of Hou Zhou, Fan Zhi (范質), immediately ordered Zhao Kuangyin to
lead the army to march north to stop the incursion by the army of Qidan.
At that time, northern China was occupied by the Qidan people who were originally
lived in the Liao River Valley in the present day Southern Manchuria (南
部東北).
Zhao Kuangyin and his army arrived at Chenqiao (陳橋), a small suburban
town about ten kilometers northeast of the capital. They camped there for
a few days. Those generals under the command of Zhao Kuangyin decided that
he should become the Emperor as the present Emperor was only a seven year-old-
boy. Whether Zhao Kuangyin like it or not they put a yellow robe on him
and proclaimed him the Emperor. Zhao Kuangyin refused to wear the yellow
robe. For three times his generals made him to wear the yellow robe and become
the new Emperor. Each time Zhao Kuangyin refused. Eventually, Zhao Kuangyin
was persuaded by his subordinates. Thus Zhao Kuangyin became the Emperor
and he established his Dynasty called the Song Dynasty (宋朝 960AD to 1279AD)
. He was known as Emperor Tai Zu (太祖 reigned 960AD to 976AD).
................................................................
(2) Zhao Yun (趙雲alias Zhao Zilong 趙子龍 ?? to 229AD)
常山驕子英雄膽 Changshan jiao zi3 ying xiong2 dan3
A charming young man from Changshan is really a brave man
Zhao Yun was born in the present day county of Changshan in Zhejiang province
浙江省常山縣. During the period of the Three Kingdoms (三國時代 220AD to
265AD) Zhao Yun was a general in the armed forces of the Shu Kingdom (蜀
國), the ruler of which was Liu Bei (劉備).
In 200AD, Liu Bei and Cao Cao (曹操 155AD to 220AD), the ruler Wei Kingdom
(魏國), fought a battle at Changbanpo (長板坡 in the present day northeast
of the county of Dangyang 當陽縣東北 in Hubei province 湖北省). Cao Cao
routed Liu Bei's army. Liu Bei fled west leaving his wife, Gan Shi (甘氏
) and son, Liu Dan (劉襌), behind. When Zhao Yun heard about that he mounted
his horse and rode towards north heading to the place where the battle had
taken place.
Seeing Zhao Yun riding north, an officer immediately reported to Liu Bei
that Zhao Yun was fleeing north. Liu Bei told the officer not to worry because
Zhao Yun would never ever abandon him.
When Zhoa Yun rode back to the old battlefield, he saw Cao Cao's troops
had overrun it. Zhao Yun searched everywhere looking for Gan Shi and baby
Liu Dan. Eventually, Zhao Yun found the mother and son near an old well.
Giving her baby son to Zhao Yun, Gan Shi committed suicide by jumping into
the old well. There was nothing Zhao Yun could do except sealed off the
old well by rocks and stones. With baby Liu Dan wrapped and tied on his
back Zhao Yun fought against Cao Cao's soldiers. He managed to escape and
return to Liu Bei. Zhao Yun handed baby Liu Dan to Liu Bei. There was a
saying about Zhao Yun at that time,
"子龍一身都是膽.---Zilong yi shen du shi4 dan3"
Zhao Zilong was a very brave man
.......................................................
(3) Zhao Gu (趙嘏)
Zhao Gu passed the Imperial Examinations during the reign of Emperor
Wu Zong Li Yan 武宗皇帝李炎 841AD to 846AD). He was appointed as an official
serving in the county of Weinan (渭南縣) in Shaanxi province (陜西省). He
was also a poet and this is his famous poem.
江樓有感 Jiang Lou [1] You3 Gan3
Sentimental Feeling at Jianglou
獨上江樓思悄然,---Du2 shang4 Jiang Lou si qiao ran2,
月光如水水如天;---Yue4 guang ru2 shui3 shui3 ru2 tian;
同來玩月人何在,---Tong2 lai2 wan2 yue4 ren2 he2 zai4,
風景依稀似去年.---Feng jing3 yi xi si4 qu4 nian2.
The explanations in plain Chinese and English
我孤獨地一人, 走上了江樓, 靜悄悄地, 而心頭像有著事呢!
Alone, I come up to Jianglou quietly,
但見月光好像水光, 水光好像天光, 上下凝成了一色.
The moon light is like the light from the water which is like the light
from the sky, forming into one colour from above and below.
我想起從前和我同上樓來賞月的人, 不知現下在什么地方?
In retrospect, I wonder where are the people who previously
came here with me to admire the moon.
可是那今夜的風景, 彷彿是像去年一樣呢.
However, the scenery of tonight is the same as that of last year.
Note:
[1A] Jianglou (江樓)
Jianglou was a pavilion in Linjiang (臨江)
................................................................
Note:
Surname ZHAO (趙姓) is the 8th most common Chinese surname in the world.
Posted to asiawind.com
By CHUNG Yoon-Ngan (鄭永元)
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