Author: Yoon-Ngan CHUNG (130.95.49.---)
Date: 06-03-02 17:36
To know your surname (10) = WU 吳
According to the Kang Xi dictionary (康熙字典) Wu means
"方言大也" or "Great" in the local dialect. To know the origin of
Wu please refer to my book "The Origin of 550 Chinese Surnames"
on pages 55 and 56.
The surname Wu originated in the prefecture of Yan Ling (延陵郡) which is
in the present day county of Wu Jin (武進縣) in Jiangsu province (江蘇省).
The location of Wu Jin county in the world map is 119.9degree East and
31.7 degree North.
The couplet for surname Wu 吳 is﹐
延 陵 世 澤
渤 海 家 聲
Famous people
(1) 吳承恩 (Wu Cheng En 1500AD to 1582AD).
Wu Cheng En was a writer and his famous book was entitled
西游紀 Journrt to the West.
(2) 吳敬梓 (Wu Jing Zi 1701AD to 1754AD)
Wu Jing Zi was an author and his most famous book was called
"儒林外史" or "The Scholars" in English. It was a sarcastic novel
criticising the scholars during the Qing Dynasty (清朝 1644AD to
1912AD). His famous couplet was,
讀書好﹐耕田好﹐學好便好。
創業難﹐守業難﹐知難不難。
(3) 吳鳳 (Wu Feng)
Wu Feng was born in Ping He county (平和縣) in Fujian province (福建省)
in the early 18th century during the reign of Emperor Qian Long (乾隆 1736AD
to 1795AD), the fourth Emperor of the Qing Dynasty. When Wu Feng was only
a young boy his family emigrated to Taiwan which had become a prefecture of Fujian province in 1683AD after the army of the Qing Dynasty had destroyed the dissident forces of Zheng Jing, son of Koxinga (鄭成功 Zheng Cheng Gong).
By nature Wu Feng was taciturn and he loved books. He was a man of integrity
and righteousness.
When Wu Feng grew up and finished his studies he was employed as an
official in the prefectural administration of Taiwan. He rose to the rank
of aboriginal liaison officer. He was posted to Jia Yi (嘉義), a town not far
from the mountainous region of Ali Shan (阿里山) which was mostly inhabited
by the head-hunting aboriginal tribe of Gao Shan (高山 Takasago). An animistic people (during the 18th century), the aborigines would kill strangers who happened to wander into their territory and use the heads of their victims as sacrifices to their gods. (Please note, this thing happened many a hundred years ago).
Wu Feng tried to bring reform and civilization to the aborigines in the hope that
they would give up their barbarous practices, but they were stubborn and unyielding and did not appreciate the good work of Wu Feng.
One day, Wu Feng disguised himself as an ordinary common man and wandered into Ali Shan. Seeing a stranger rambling in the woods in their territory, the Gao Shan people killed and decapitated him. They took his head back to their villages. They placed his head on their sacrificial altar. The Gao Shan peole were shocked and stunned to discover that it was the head of their beloved and respected liaison officer, Wu Feng.
The aborigines were overwhelmed by deep sadness and cursed themselves
for having taken the life of a much loved and honest man. In order to repent for
their sins they voluntarily gave up the evil practice of head-hunting.
Wu Feng was posthumously honoured as the Kind Sage (仁聖) of the Gao Shan
people. A town in the region of Ali Shan was named after Wu Feng in his honour.
CHUNG Yoon-Ngan (鄭永元)
All rights reserved 2002
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