Author: CHUNG Yoon Ngan
Date: 01-12-11 01:27
Chinese surname - the 11th most common Chinese surname - 徐 (XU)
Xu means: slowly or gradually.
The surname Xu is about 2,500 years old.
The surname Xu originated in an area referred to during the Han Dynasty
(漢朝 206BC to 220AD) as the Donghai prefecture (東海郡). The present day
location of Donghai prefecture is in Pei Xian (邳縣 118.0 degree in the
East and 34.3 degree in the North on the world map) of Jiangsu province
(江蘇省).
Bo Yi (伯益), a descendant of Huang Di (黃帝) or the Yellow Emperor, helped
Si Wenming (姒文命) to dredge the rivers because the land was flooded after
raining non-stop for a very long time. In 2205BC Si Wenming was elected
as the new leader of the federated tribes. Si Wenming rewarded Ruo Mu (若
木) who was the eldest son of Bo Yi, the authority to administer a settlement
called Xu, (徐 present day Si county 泗 縣 in Anhui province 安徽省). The
settlement of Xu was upgraded to statehood called the State of Xu (徐國).
Thirty two generations later, during the Zhou Dynasty (1134BC to 256BC),
in 1001BC, Ji Man (姬滿) became the 5th King and was crowned Zhou King Mu
(周穆王 1001BC to 947BC). The ruler of the State of Xu was Xu Yan (徐偃)
who was a wise, intelligent and benevolent man. All the citizens of Xu supported
him and the State of Xu became a prosperous and strong state.
One day, while Xu Yan was digging the river he dug out a red arrow and the
sorcerers told Xu Yan that it was a good omen. Xu Yan believed that this
"omen" meant that he could replace Zhou King Mu as the central authority
of the land. So Xu Yan raised a large army and marched towards Hao (鎬 the
present day city of Xian 西安市in Shaanxi province 陜西省), which was the
capital of the Zhou Dynasty. Zhou King Mu appointed Bo Zhong (伯終) to lead
an army to encounter the Xu forces. A battle was fought and the army of
Xu
were defeated. Xu Yan fled to Pengcheng (彭城 present day Xuzhou 徐州 city
in Jiangsu province 江蘇省), and hid in a mountain which was later named
as Xushan (徐山) or Xu mountain.
Even though Xu Yan was defeated the citizens of Xu still supported him.
In order to pacify the residents of Xu, Zhou King Mu awarded the inheritable
title of Zi (子) or the Viscount to an offspring of Xu Yan. Zhou King Mu
also appointed him as the ruler of the State of Xu. He came to be known
as Xu Zi (徐子).
Eleven generations after Xu Zi, during the Spring and Autumn Period (春秋
時間 722BC to 481BC) the State of Xu was conquered and annexed in 512BC
by the strong and powerful neighbouring State of Wu (吳國 present day Wu
Xian 吳縣 in Jiangsu province). Many of the descendants of Xu Yan emigrated
north and settled down at Xiapei (夏邳 present day Pei Xian 邳縣 about 50
kilometers east of Xuzhou 徐州city in Jiangsu province). Some of them adopted
XU (徐) as their surname in remembrance of their extinct State.
The couplet for surname XU
姓啟徐子,---Xing4 qi3 Xu Zi
望族東海.---Wang4 zu2 Dong Hai
The progenitor of surname Xu was Xu Zi
The clan distinguished from Dong Hai
----------------------------------------
The prominent persons produced by the Xu Clan
(1) Xu Beihong (徐悲鴻 1895 to 1953)
His famou couplet
直上青雲攬日月,---Zhi2 shang4 qing yun2 lan3 ri4 yue4,
欲傾東海洗乾坤.---Yu4 qing Dong Hai xi3 qian2 kun.
I wish I could soar straight up into the sky and clasp the sun and the moon
into my arms,
And wash the heaven and earth by the sea water from the Donghai Sea.
Xu Beihong, the world famous artist and educationist, was born in Yixing
(宜興縣) in Jiangsu province (江蘇省). At one time he studied painting in
France. During the war of resistance against Japan he exhibited his works
around the world to raise money to help his motherland. He was the dean
of the Center Art Department in Beijing (北京) and chairman of the Arts
Society of China.
------------------------------------
(2) Xu Fu (徐福)
During the Warring States Period (戰國時代 453BC to 221BC) of the Zhou Dynasty
(周朝 1134BC to 256BC) in 246BC Ying Zheng (嬴政) became the 37th ruler
of the State of Qin (秦國 present day Fengxiang county 鳳翔縣 in Shaanxi
province 陜西省). Ying Zheng was a very intelligent, clever, highly educated,
capable and ruthless man. He had a vision that one day he would conquer
all the other States in the land and unite this vast land into one big empire.
He accomplished his vision in 221BC after he had all the other States subjugated
and united the land into one big empire which he called it The Qin Dynasty
(秦朝 221BC to 207BC).
Ying Zheng titled himself the Qin Shi Huang Di (秦始皇帝 The First Emperor
of Qin and also the First Emperor in China). He divided his Empire into
36 Prefectures (郡). He unified weights and measures. He standardized the
coinage. He even unified the axle lengths of the wagons. He also uniformed
the way of writing the Chinese characters. He constructed a long, long wall
and built many roads, canals and big palaces.
Ying Zheng knew memento mori and man could not live forever. He had to die
sooner or later. He was not satisfied as a mortal Emperor. He wanted to
live forever and become an immortal. He became very superstitious and employed
many sorcerers who lived with him in the palace. Their jobs were to report
to him the activities of any fairy or immortal whom he believed traveled
about around his empire.
There was a sorcerer called Xu Fu (徐福) who was the most prominent sorcerer
of them all in the Qin Court. The First Emperor spent a lot of money on
him because his reports were more reliable than those sorcerers came to
answer his call.
The First Emperor was an asthmatic and was growing old. He panicked because
he knew he did not have much time to live. He was in a hurry to become an
immortal too. He ordered Xu Fu to search for the elixir in the country.
Xu Fu knew that if he could not find the elixir he could be executed.
One day, Xu Fu told The First Emperor that there were three mountains called
Fenglai (蓬萊), Fangzhang (方丈) and Yingzhou (瀛洲) in an island in the
East Sea where all the immortals lived. If anyone could find that mountain
he could have no problem to get the elixir from the immortals. After hearing
The First Emperor, Ying Zheng, was very excited and happy. Immediately he
ordered Xu Fu to go and find the three mountains at all costs. However,
Xu Fu told him that he needed 3,000 girls and boys as sacrifices to offer
to the immortals. Without hesitation The First Emperor agreed. He ordered
big boats to be built for Xu Fu's voyage.
The specially built big boats were ready. In 219BC. Xu Fu with 3,000 girls
and boys set sailed towards the East Sea in search of the three mountains.
Actually Xu Fu had already planned not to return to the Qin Empire. Xu Fu
also knew that he would be executed if he were to come back without the
elixir.
After sailing for many days they finally arrived at the island in the East
Sea. It is believed that the island which Xu Fu and the children went ashore
was what we now call Japan. Xu Fu did not find the three mountains. Xu Fu
and the children settled down there for good and they did not return to
the Qin Empire.
Nowadays, there are many temples and shrines built to commemorate Xu Fu
on the East Coast of Japanese islands.
Source:
Chapter six from the book entitled Shi Ji (史記 第六卷)
by Si-Ma Qian (司-馬遷)
---------------------------------
(3) Xu Guangqi (徐光啟 1562 to 1633)
Xu Guangqi was born in the present day city of Shanghai. He was the first
Chinese to state the importance of Western technology. He had translated
many Western works into Chinese. His most famous books were Ji He Yuan Ben
(幾何原本) or the Origin of Geometry and Nong Zheng Quan Shu (農政全書)
or The Administration of Farming.
-----------------------------------------------
CHUNG Yoon-Ngan (鄭永元)
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