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Chinese surname LAO - John

Author: Yoon-Ngan CHUNG
Date: 02-07-04 10:39

To John Lao
(Indeed, I am very glad to know that your surname is LAO which is a rare Chinese surname. Will post surname JIN (Gold) in my next post. Please use Big5 Traditional to read the Chinese words)

Chinese surname LAO (勞)
Lao means: labour; work.
The surname Lao is about 1,900 years old.

The surname Lao originated in an area referred to during the Sui Dynasty
(隋朝 581AD to 618AD) as the Wu Yang prefecture (武陽郡). The present
day location of Wu Yang prefecture is the east of Da Ming county (大名縣
115.1 degree East and 36.2 degree North on the world map) of Hebei province
(河北省)

There is a place called Lao Shan (嶗山) in the province of Shandong. Lao Shan
is about ten kilometers northeast of the present day city of Qing Dao (青島市).
It is surrounded by hills in all sides.

In ancien time, Lao Shan was isolated from the rest of the world and the people living there had no contact with any civilisation. The land was fertile and people
were self sustaining. It was near Lao Shan that in 219BC Qin Shi Huang Di
(秦始皇帝) or the First Emperor of the Qin Dynasty (秦朝 221BC to 207BC)
ordered Xu Fu (徐福) to sail with 3,000 boys and girls to the three mountains in
an esatern island to search for the elixir. The First Emperor believed that that after taking the elixer he would not die but live forever. Xu Fu and the children did not return to the Qin Empire but settled permanently there.

It is believed that the island that Xu Fu and the children went ashored was what we now call Japan. Nowadays, there are many temples and shrines erected to commemorate Xu Fu on the east coast of Japanese islands.

It was in the year of 9AD that Wang Mang (王莽) usurped the throne of the Han
Dynasty (漢朝 206BC to 220AD). Wang Mang proclaimed the formation of his
new dynasty, the Xin Dynasty (新朝 9AD to 22AD). However, Xin Dynasty was destroyed by Liu Xiu (劉秀) who revived the Han Dynasty which was called Later Han (東漢 25AD to 220AD) by the historians. It was during the turmoil that people came in contact with the residents of Lao Shan.

Administrators were sent to Lao Shan by the Han Court. Thus Lao Shan came under the jurisdiction of the Later Han Dynasty. The Han Court bestowed upon
the people living in Lao Shan the surname of LAO (勞 note: not 嶗).

The couplet for surname Lao is;

源自西漢, =Yuan zi Xi Han
望出武陽 - =Wang chu Wu Yang.

Famous persons produced by the Lao clan.

(1) 勞祟光 (Lao Chong Guang)

Lao Chong Guang graduated as a scholar during the reign of Emperor Dao Guang (道光皇帝 reigned from 1821AD to 1850AD) of the Qing Dynasty (清朝 1644AD
to 1912AD). Emperor Xian Feng (咸豐皇帝), who reigned from 1851AD to 1861AD, appointed him the Governor of Guangdong province (廣東省). Eight years later,
he was transferred to Guangxi province (廣西省). During the Taiping Uprising,
(太平天國) the Taiping army under the command of Hong Xiu Quan (洪秀全) and Yang Xiu Qing (楊秀清) attacked the city of Gui Lin (桂林), the capital of Guangxi province, for more than ten times. Each time the Taiping's attack was replused by the Qing Army under the command of Lao Chong Guang. Eventually, the Taiping
Army abandoned the attack on Gui Lin. Lao Chong Guang was promoted as the Governor of the provinces of Guangdong and Guangxi.

(2) 勞鉞 (Lao Yue)

Lao Yue was from De Hua county (德化縣) in Jiangxi province (江西省).
He was a scholar during the Ming Dynasty (明朝 1368AD to 1644AD)
and was appointed a magistrate. He served in Jiang Pu county (江浦縣) and
Lin Jiang county (臨江縣) in Jiangsu province (江蘇省) and Shan Yang county
(山陽縣) in Shaanxi province (陜西省). During the reign of Xian Zong Emperor
(憲宗皇帝 who reigned from 1465AD to 1487AD) he was appointed as
the governor of the prefecture of Hu Zhou (湖州郡) in Zhejiang province (浙江省).
惠政及三縣

(3) 勞夷 (Lao Yi)

Lao Yi was an official and a poet who lived in the period of Tang Dynasty
(唐朝 618AD to 907AD).

=============================================

Yoon-Ngan CHUNG

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Chinese surname JIN - John

Author: Yoon-Ngan CHUNG
Date: 02-07-04 21:24

Chinese surname JIN (金)
Jin means: gold
The surname Jin is more than 3,000 years old.

The surname Jin originated in an area referred to during the Han Dynasty (漢朝 206BC to 220AD) as the Peng Cheng prefecture (彭城郡). The present day location of Peng Cheng prefecture is in the Tong Shan county (銅山縣 117.5 degree East and 34.4 degree North on the world map) of Jiangsu province (江蘇省)

Huang Di (黃帝) or the Yellow Emperor, the legendary leader of the united clans before the formation of kingdoms, married Lei Zu (嫘祖) who invented the technique of sericulture to make silk. They had many sons and one of them, Ji Zhi (己摯), succeeded him as the leader of the united clans. Legend had it that on the day of the installation of Ji Zhi as the leader, a golden phoenix flew down and perched on top of a house right opposite where he sat. His followers believed that it was an auspicious beginning and they decided to use Jin Feng Huang (金鳳凰) or golden phoenix as the emblem of their tribe. The official title of Ji Zhi was Shao Hao (少昊).

Since Ji Zhi was their leader they titled him Jin Tian Shi (金天氏) or golden skys and named their tribe as Jin Tian Clan (金天族) or Golden Clan. Their settlements were in Lu Jun (魯郡 located in the present day Qu Fu county 曲阜縣 of Shandong province 山東省).

Ji Zhi died in 2515BC and historians did not write much about him. Some of his descendants and followers adopted JIN (金) as their surname and left off the words Tian Shi (天氏). Many generations after Ji Zhi many of his offspring relocated themselves to the south in present day province of Shandong and settled in the Prefecture of Peng Cheng in Jiangsu province where surname Jin is said to have originated.

The couplet of surname Jin

源自少昊,---Yuan zi Shao Hao,
望出彭城.---Wang chu Peng Cheng

Prtominent persons of the Jin clan

(1) The relatives of the last Emperor of Qing Dynasty (清朝 1644AD to 1911AD) changed their surname from Aixinjiailuo (愛新覺羅) to JIN (金)

During the early period of the Song Dynasty (宋朝 960AD to 1279AD) there lived a tribe called Ru Zhen (女真族) in the regions around the river basins of the rivers of Song Hua Jiang (松花江) and Ya Lu Jiang (鴨綠江) in the present day provinces of Heilongjiang (黑龍江省), Jilin (吉林省) and Liaoning (遼寧省).

Gradually the Ru Zhen tribe grew stronger and stronger. It became very powerful. In 1125AD Ru Zhen tribe subjugated the Kingdom of Liao (遼王國 in the present day region north of the Great Wall). In 1126AD the Ru Zhen tribe captured the newly crowned Song Emperor Qin Zong Zhao Huan (欽宗皇帝趙桓) and his father Zhao Ji (趙吉), the ex-Emperor. That was the end of the Song Dynasty.

However, in 1127AD the relatives of the Song Emperor established another Song Dynasty called Southern Song Dynasty (南宋朝) in the south and installed Zhao Gou (趙構) the nineth son of Zhao Ji as the new Emperor Gao Zong (高宗). The capital of the new Dynasty was in Lin An Fu (臨安府 present Hang Zhou city 杭州市 in Zhejiang province 浙江省).

The Ru Zhen tribe eastablished the Jin Dynasty (金朝 1115AD to 1234AD) with its capital in present day Beijing city (北京市). Jin Dynasty was conquered by the Mongolians in 1234AD.

More than four hundred years later in 1644AD the offspring of the Ru Zhen tribe established the Qing Dynasty (清朝 1644AD to 1911AD). The surname of all the rulers of the Qing Dynasty was Ai-Xin-Jiao-Luo (愛-新-覺-羅). In 1911AD Dr Sun Yat-Sen (孫中山) overthrew the Qing Dynasty and the last Emperor of the Qing Dynasty was Ai-Xin-Jiao-Luo Pu Yi (愛-新-覺-羅溥儀).

In order to hide themselves from publicity many relatives of Pu Yi (溥儀), changed their surname from Ai-Xin-Jiao-Luo (愛新覺羅) to Jin (金 or gold), the name of the Jin Dynasty (金朝) that their ancestors founded several hundred years ago.

The last Emperor's fourth younger brother was called Ai-Xin-Jiao-Luo Pu Ren (愛新覺羅溥任) who also changed his surname to Jin (gold) and he gave himself a new name, You Zhi (友之). His full name is Jin You Zhi (金友之) and he is the only surviving member of the last Emperor's generation. Jin You Zhi surnamed his children JIN.

The eldest son of Jin You Zhi, is called Jin Yu Zhang (金毓嶂). He was born in 1943 in Beijing. After he was graduated as a geologist from Beijing University in 1968 Jin Yu Zhang was sent to work in the Geological Department in the province of Qing Hai (青海省). Jin Yu Zhang was then transfered back to Beijing in 1985 and worked in the district of Sui Wen (祟文區). In 1999 Jin Yu Zhang was appointed the deputy Distrct Officer of the district of Sui Wen.

Jin You Zhi said that they are no more members of the royal family but just the ordinary citizens.

I wonder how many members of the Qing Royal family are still keeping their surname Ai-Xin-Jiao-Luo.

(2) Jin Ri Di (金日磾 134BC to 86BC)

During the reign of Emperor Wu Di Liu Che (武帝皇帝劉徹 140BC to 87BC) of the Han Dynasty (漢朝 206BC to 220AD), Xiu Tu (休屠), the King of Xiong Nu (匈奴王) in the north, pleged alliegiance to the Han Court. King Xiu Tu sent his son, Ri Di (日磾), the Crown Prince, to the Han capital of Changan (長安 present day Xi An 西安 in Shaanxi province 陜西省) to make a bronze statue for Emperor Wu Di to offer as a sacrifice to Heaven. Emperor Wu Di was very happy and bestowed upon the Crown Prince the surname of JIN (Gold) and the Crown Prince came to be known as Ji Ri Di (金日磾). The Emperor also appointed Jin Ri Di as a general. Jin Ri Di did not return to his homeland but continued to serve the Han Court and he surnamed his children Jin. His offspring continued to use Jin as their surname.

(3) Jin Sheng Han (金聖嘆 1608AD to 1661AD)

Jin Sheng Tan, a literary critic and a poet, was born in Wu Xian (吳縣) of Jiangsu province (江蘇省). He was an official in the Ming Government. When the Ming Dynasty (明朝 1368AD to 1644AD) collapsed and the Qing Dynasty (清朝 1644AD to 1911AD) was established Jin Sheng Tan refused to serve the Qing Government.

Jin Sheng Tan dedicated his life to study. He titled the six books of Zhuang Zi (莊子), Li Sao (離騷), Shi Ji (史記), Du Shi (杜詩), Shui Hu (水滸) and Xi Xiang Ji (西廂記), The Books of the Six Scholars. His comments and critics on many books, particularly the books of San Guo Zhi (三國志), Shi Hu Chuan (水滸傳) and Xi Xiang Ji (西廂記), was considered to be the best in China.

In 1661, he was alleged to have taking part in a political plot. He was arrested and later executed by the Qing Government.

CHUNG Yoon-Ngan (鄭永元)
All rights reserved 07022004

Yoon-Ngan CHUNG

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Re: Chinese surname LAO - John

Author: Charmaine Dell Lao Ortega
Date: 04-14-06 10:29

hi im from philippines..I just wanna ask u if what place in china does the majority of chinese people that has lao surnames and speaks fookien/hokien came from. Because my mothers surname when she was not yet maried was lao. Her father(lao hu tong), my grandfather was originally from china and he speaks fookien/hokien, unluckily he died early thats why i havent got the chance to ask him bout his hometown. And I also want to meet my relatives there because my mom told me that my grandfather has a wife and children there before coming here in the philippines and remarry again with a filipino(my grandma). There was one time when I went to the mall and met a chinese man and my mom told me that the man was my grandfathers cousin, but he was from macau. I was just confused because the people in macau speaks cantonese and my grandfather speaks fookien.Hope u can help me with this. thanks!!

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