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The province of Heilongjiang

Author: Yoon-Ngan CHUNG
Date: 01-02-04 08:54

The province of Heilongjiang (黑龍江省)

(黑) Hei means = black.
(龍) Long means = dragon.
(江) Jiang means = river.

(黑龍江) means the Black Dragon River.
(人口) The population is 36.9 million.
(省會) The capital is Haerbin (哈爾濱) with a population of 9.271.000.
(面積) The area of the province is 469,000 square kilometers.
The province of Heilongjiang is the home of many ethnic groups. Other than the Han (漢族), in majority, there are the ethnic groups of Manzhou (滿洲族), Mongol (蒙古族), Korean (朝鮮族), Daur (達斡爾族), Ewenki (鄂溫克族), Oroqen (鄂倫春族), Hezhen (赫哲族), and a few other groups.

The river of Heilongjiang is the major river furthest north from the centre of Chinese civilization. It forms the boundary between China and Russia. The name of this province was derived from the name of this river. The single word name of this province is Hei (黑).

In September 1931 the Japanese perpetrated the notorious September 18th Incident and forcibly occupied the three provinces of Heilongjiang, Jilin (吉林省) and Liaoning (遼寧省). In 1932, Zhang Han Hui (張漢揮), a Chinese patriot wrote a song called "松花江上 On the Songhua River" to express the sorrow of the Chinese people. The river of Songhua River (松花江) is a tributary of the river Heilongjiang. The song goes like this, (with English translation in below).

我的家在東北松花江上,=Wo di jia zai Song Hua Jiang shang,
那裏有森林煤礦還有那 =Na li you sen lin mei guang huan you na
滿山遍野的大豆高梁.===man shan bian ye di da dou gao liang.

我的家在東北松花江上,=Wo di jia zai dong bei Song Hua Jiang shang,
那裏有我的同胞還有那 =Na li you wo di tong bao huan you na
衰老的爹娘.==========shuai lao di die niang.

九一八 ! 九一八 ! = Jiu yi ba ! jiu yi ba !
從那個悲慘的時候,=Cong na ge bei can di shi hou
拋棄那無盡的寶藏,=Pao qi na wu jin di bao zang,
流郎 ! 流浪 !=====Liu lang ! liu lang !
整日價在關內流浪.=Zheng ri jia zai guan nei liu lang.

哪年哪月========Na nian na yue
才能夠回到我那可愛的故鄉?=Cai neng gou hui dao wo na ke ai di gu xiang?
哪年哪月========Na nian na yue
才能夠收回我那無盡的寶藏?=Cai neng gou shou hui wo na wu jin di bao zang?

爹娘啊 ! 爹娘啊 !==Die niang a ! die niang a !
甚麼時候才能聚在一堂=Shen mo shi hou cai neng ju zai yi tang

My home is in the Northeast, on the banks of the Songhua River,
There are dense forests and coal mines,
and endless bean and songhum fields.

My home is in the Northeast, on the banks of the Songhua River,
There live my fellow countrymen
and my old and feeble Parents.

September the 18th ! September the 18th !
In the tragic days of September the 18th,
I left my homeland
and abandoned the boundless hidden treasures,
To roam, to roam, day after day inside Shanghaiguan.

Which year, which month,
Can I return to my beloved homeland?
Which year, which month,
Can I recover the boundless hidden treaures?

Oh my dear Parents, my dear Parents,
When will we be togeher again?

CHUNG Yoon-Ngan (鄭永元)
All rights reserved 02012004

Yoon-Ngan CHUNG

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The province of Henan

Author: Yoon-Ngan CHUNG
Date: 01-03-04 00:01

The province of Henan (河南省)

(河) He means = river; in this case it is Huanghe or the Yellow River.
(南) Nan means = south.
(河南) means south of Huanghe or the Yellow River
(人口) the population is 92.6 million.
(省會) The provincial capital is Zhengzhou (鄭州) with a population of more than 6.2 million.
(面積) The area is 167,000 square kilometers.
Other than the Han (漢族) ethnic group there are also the ethnic groups of the Hui (回族) and the Mongol (蒙族) which are in the minority.

During the Xia Dynasty (夏朝 2205BC to 1766BC) this territory was called Yu Zhou (豫州 present day name for Zhong Yuan 中原 or the central plains of China) from which its single word name Yu (豫) derived. Henan province is also known as the province of Yu (豫省).

A brief historical account of this province.

The cradle of Chinese culture was in the basin of the Yellow River in the province of Henan. Huangdi (黃帝) or the Yellow Emperor established his capital at You Xiong (有熊 in the present day county of Xinzheng 新鄭縣). Other Dynasties that established their capitals in the province of Henan are as follow:

(1) Shang/Yin Dynasty (商/殷 1766BC to 1122BC) This Dynasty was founded by Cheng Tang Zi Lu (成湯子履) who established his capital at Bo (亳 present day Shang Qiu 商丘).

(2) Eastern Zhou Dynasty (東周朝 770BC to 256BC). The first King of this Dynasty was Ji Yi Jiu (姬宜臼) who established his capital at Luo Yi (洛邑 present day Luoyang 洛陽).

(3) The State of Han (韓國 403BC to 230BC) in the Warring States Period (戰國時代 453BC to 221BC) of the Zhou Dynasty (1134BC to 256BC). The founder of the State of Han was Han Qian (韓虔) who established his capital at Ping Yang (平陽 present day Lin Fen 臨汾 in Shansi province 山西省). In 375BC the State of Han shifted its capital to the present day county of Xin Zheng 新鄭縣).

(4) Dong Han Dynasty (東漢朝 25AD to 220AD). The founder of this Dynasty was Liu Xiu (劉秀) who was crowned Guang Wu Di (光武皇帝). He established his capital at Luoyang (洛陽)

(5) Wei Dynasty (魏朝 220AD to 265AD) during the Three Kingdoms Period (三國時代 220AD to 265AD). The founder of this Dynasty was Cao Pi (曹丕) and he established his capital at Luoyang.

(6) Western Jin Dynasty (西晉朝 265AD to 316AD). The founder of this Dynasty was Sima Yan (司馬炎) and he established his capital at Luoyang.

(7 ) Hou Zhao (後趙 319AD to 351AD) of the period of Wu Hu Shi Liu Guo (五胡十六國 304AD to 438AD) The Kingdom of Hou Zhao was founded by Shi Lei (石勒) who was the chief of the Jie ethnic group (羯族). He established his capital at Ye (鄴 in the present day county of Lin Zhang 臨漳縣).

(8) North Wei Dynasty (北魏朝 386AD to 534AD) during the period of the North and South Dynasties (南北朝 420AD to 589AD). The founder of this Dynasty was Tuo Ba Gui (拓跋珪) who was the leader of the Xian Bei ethnic group (鮮卑族). He established his capital at Luoyang.

(9) Hou Liang Dynasty (後梁朝 907AD to 923AD) of the period of Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms (五代十國 907AD 960AD). The founder of this Dynasty was Zhu Quan Zhong (朱全忠) who established his capital at Bian (汴 present day Kaifeng 開封).

(10) Hou Tang Dynasty (後唐朝 923AD to 936AD) of the period of Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms. The founder of this Dynasty was Li Zai Xun (李存勗) who was the leader of the Sha Tuo tribe (沙陀族). He established his capital at Luoyang.

(11) Hou Jin Dynasty (後晉朝 936AD to 946AD) of the period of Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms. The founder of this Dynasty was Shi Jing Tang (石敬塘) who was the leader of the Xi Yi tribe (西夷族). He established his capital at Bian (汴 present day Kaifeng 開封).

(12) Hou Han Dynasty (後漢朝 947AD to 950AD) of the period of Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms. The founder of this Dynasty was Liu Zhi Yuan (劉知遠) who was the chief of the Sha Tuo tribe (沙陀族). He established his capital at Bian (汴 present day Kaifeng).

(13) Hou Zhou Dynasty (後周朝 951AD to 960AD) of the period of Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms. The founder of this Dynasty was Guo Wei (郭威) and he established his capital at the present day of Kaifeng.

(14) Song Dynasty (宋朝 960AD to 1279AD). The founder of Song Dynasty was Zhao Kuang Yin (趙匡胤) and he established his capital at Bian (汴 present day Kaifeng).

CHUNG Yoon-Ngan (鄭永元)
All rights reserved 03012004

Yoon-Ngan CHUNG

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The province of Hubei

Author: Yoon-Ngan CHUNG
Date: 01-04-04 00:02

The province of Hubei (湖北省)

(湖) Hu means = lake; in this case it is the Dongtinghu (洞庭湖).
(北) Bei means = north.

(湖北省) means the province situated in the north of Dongtinghu.
(人口) The population is 64.2 million
(省會) The provincial capital is Wuhan (武漢) with a population of more than 7.9 million. Wuhan is a collective name of the three cities of Wuchang (武昌), Hankou (漢口) and Hanyang (漢陽).
(面積) The area is 187,400 square kilometers.
Other than the ethnic Han group (漢族), there are a few minority ethnic groups of Miao (苗族) Hui (回族), Manzhou (滿洲族) and Tujia (土家族) living in the mountainous region in the north of the province.

Hubei is a land of rivers and lakes. Changjiang or the Yangtze River and many of its tributaries flow through the province to the east. There are many lakes in the province and the biggest of them all is the lake Dongting.

More than two thousand years ago the province of Hubei was a very strong country. It was the territory of the State of Chu (楚國) during the Zhou Dynasty (周朝1134BC to 256BC). In about 894BC Mie Xiong Qu (羋熊渠), the ruler of the State of Chu, gave authority to his younger brother Mie Zhi Hong (羋摯紅) to rule a place called E (鄂 present day Wu Chang 武昌 city in Hubei province). Mie Zhi Hong was known as E Wang (鄂王) and his domain was called E. The single word name of Hubei province is E (鄂) which was named after E Wang.

The Double-Ten Revolution (辛亥革命) started in the city of Wuchang (武昌) on October 10, 1911. The leader of the revolution was Dr. Sun Yat-sen (孫中山先生).

CHUNG Yoon-Ngan (鄭永元)
All rights reserved 04012004

Yoon-Ngan CHUNG

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The province of Hunan

Author: Yoon-Ngan CHUNG
Date: 01-05-04 08:09

The province of Hunan (湖南省)

(湖) Hu means = lake; in this case it is the Lake of Dongting (洞庭湖).
(南) Nan means = south.

(湖南省) means the province south of the Lake of Dongting
(人口) The population is 70.3 million.
(省會) The capital is Changsha (長沙) with a population of more than 5.7 million.
(面積) The area is 210,000 square kilometers.
The majority of the population is the ethnic group of Han (漢族). However, there are a few minority ethnic groups living in this province. There are the ethnic groups of Miao (苗族), Yao (瑤族), Yugur (維吾爾族), Tong (侗族), Tujia (土家族) and a few others. There is a big river called Xiang Jiang (湘江), flows through the province. The single word name of this province is Xiang (湘) which was derived from the name of this river Xiang Jiang.

There used to be an expression in China that "China can be conquered only when all the people of Hunan are dead". The province occupies some of the richest land in China. It is the land of rice and fish, the granaries of the country.

More than 2,000 years ago the present day province of Hunan was the territory of the State of Chu (楚國) which was a very strong country. The scholar and poet Qu Yuan (屈原) was born here. Due to ill-advised, Xiong Heng (熊橫), the King of Chu had Qu Yuan banished to the remote area in the south, As his idealistic porjects of reforming the country was not accepted by the King of Chu Qu Yuan threw himself into the Milou River (汨羅江 present day near the county of Xiang Yin 湘陰縣) and immediately disappeared. The day was the fifth day of the fifth month.

People living along the banks of the Miluo River heard of his disappearance in the river. They rushed out to the river with their boats to try to rescue him. Qu Yuan could not be found. Neither could his body.

Fearing that the fish might devour his body, people harvested the Yu Mi (玉米 or Jade Rice) from Qu Yuan's field and used it to make dumplings wrapped in Rou leaves (箬葉 is a kind of leave similar to bamboo leaves - people just called them bamboo leaves) and threw them into Miluo River hoping that the fish would devour the wrapped dumplings instead of his body. Yu Mi was later rename glutinous rice (Nuo Mi 糯米). The wrapped dumpling was later called Zong Zi (棕子). The launching of boats to rescue Qu Yuan became an annual event of Dragon Boats racing.

Mao Zedong (毛澤東), Liu Shaqi (劉少奇), Peng Dehuai (彭德懷), Hu Yaobang (胡耀邦), the former leaders of China were born in the province of Hunan.

CHUNG Yoon-Ngan (鄭永元)
All rights reserved 05012004

Yoon-Ngan CHUNG

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