Author: CHUNG Yoon Ngan
Date: 01-05-12 20:11
The 4th most common Chinese surname LIU - 劉 (004)
Liu means : a Chinese surname.
The surname Liu is more than 3,000 years old.
The surname Liu originated in an area referred to during the Han Dynasty
(漢朝 206BC to 220AD) as the Pengcheng prefecture (彭城郡). The present
day location of Pengcheng prefecture is in Tongshan county (銅山縣 117.5
degree East and 34.4 degree North on the world map) of Jiangsu province
(江蘇省).
Yao Di (堯帝), who lived more than 4,000 years ago, was the legendary chief
of the federated tribes in ancient China. Legend says that around 1880BC
one of his descendants fathered an attractive baby boy with two words, Liu
Lei (劉累), written onto his palm. His parents named him after these two
words. People said that when Liu Lei grew up he knew how to tame the dragons.
Liu Lei could ride on the back of any flying dragon. Legends also say that
Liu Lei was appointed by King Kong Jia (孔甲王) to look after his four dragons.
King Kong Jia was the 13th King of the Xia Dynasty (夏朝 2205BC to 1766BC)
who reigned from 1879BC to 1847BC.
Soon after being employed as King Kong Jia's dragon-keeper, one of the dragons
became ill and died. Liu Lei did not tell the King about the dragons death;
instead he cooked the meat of the dead dragon for the King to eat. After
the meal King Kong Jia said that it was delicious and rewarded Liu Lei
with some gifts. King Kong Jia wanted to watch some acrobatic shows performed
by the dragons. In order to prevent King Kong Jia from finding out about
the death of one of his dragons, Liu Lei only allowed two dragons to perform
at a time. The two dragon performance had been going on for quite some time,
and King Kong Jia thought that it could fantastic if the show was performed
by his four dragons. The King wanted his four dragons to perform at the
same time, but Liu Lei ignored the King's wish and continued to use two
dragons to perform the shows. King Kong Jia became suspicious about his
dragons and wanted to query Liu Lei. Knowing that he could not trick the
King any more and that sooner or later the King would find out about the
death of one of the dragons, Liu Lei took his family and fled to Lu (魯
present day Lushan county 魯山 縣 in Henan province 河南省). After Liu Lei's
death his descendants adopted LIU (劉) as their surname.
The period from 827BC to 782BC was the time of the reign of Zhou King Xuan
(周宣王), the 11th King of the Zhou Dynasty (周朝 1134BC to 256BC). A descendant
of Liu Lei called Liu Xi Shu (劉隰叔), went to live in the State of Jin
(晉國 in the present day county of Yicheng 翼城縣 in Shanxi province 山西
省). Ji Feisheng (姬費生), the 9th ruler of State of Jin, appointed Liu
Xi Shu as a Shi Shi (士師) or a teacher to the Jin Court.Liu Xi Shu changed
his surname from Liu to SHI (士) and was known as Shi Xishu. The great-grandson
Shi Xishu was called Shi Hui (士 會) who and other members of the Shi family
had considerable influence in the Jin court.
Ji Huan (姬驩), the 23rd ruler of the State of Jin, died in 621BC. Shi Hui
(士會) was ordered by the Jin Court to go to the State of Qin (秦國 in the
present day county of Fengxiang 鳳翔縣 in Shaanxi province 陜西省) to fetch
prince Ji Yong (姬雍), the younger brother of Ji Huan. Ji Yong was supposed
to become the next ruler of the State of Jin. However, on the way back to
the State of Jin, Shi Hui and Ji Yong were blocked by the Jin troops from
returning home, due to the fact that the eldest son of Ji Huan, had already
been installed as the new ruler of the State of Jin. Shi Hui and Ji Yong
decided to return to the State of Qin. Shi Hui stayed in Qin permanently
and reverted to his ancestors surname Liu. Shihui then was known as Liu
Hui and he surnamed his children LIU.
Ten generations later a few offspring of Liu Hui became the officials in
the State of Wei (魏國 in the present day county of Anyi 安邑縣 in Shanxi
province 山西省) during the Warring States Period (戰國時代 453BC to 221BC).
In 225BC the State of Wei was subjugated by Ying Zheng (嬴政 who later became
the First Emperor of China).
Some of the members of the Lius relocated themselves to Pei county (沛縣
) in Jiangsu province (江蘇省) where Liu Bang's ancestors lived. Liu Bang,
an offspring of Liu Hui, was the founder of the Han Dynasty (漢朝 206BC
to 220AD). Liu Bang was born in Pei county.
The couplet for surname Liu is;
姓啟劉累,
望出彭城.
The progenitor of surname Liu was Liu Lei,
And it was originated from the prefecture of Pengcheng
Famous persons produced by the Liu clan
大風起兮雲飛揚,------Da4 feng qi3 xi yun2 fei yang2,
威加海內兮歸故鄉,---Wei jia hai3 nei4 xi gui gu4 xiang,
安得猛士兮守四方!---An de2 meng3 shi4 xi shou3 si4 fang!
The strong wind is blowing and the clouds are flying,
Having pacified the land I am returning to my hometown,
As the country is being guarded by the brave warriors
By Liu Bang (劉邦 256BC to 195BC)
-----------------------------------------------
The prominent persons produced by the Liu Clan
(1) Liu Bang (劉邦 born in 256BC and died 195BC)
He was the 1st Emperor of the Han Dynasty from 206BC to 195BC.
Liu Bang was a peasant who joined the army of the Qin Dynasty (秦朝 221BC
to 207BC) as an ordinary soldier. He rose to the rank of an officer in charge
(亭長) of a town called Si Shang (泗上 in present day Jiangsu province 江
蘇省). Liu Bang married a woman by the name of Lu Yan (呂顏).
One day, Liu Bang was ordered to escort a group of fifty conscripted workers
to march north to help building the tomb for the First Emperor in Li Shan
(驪山) in Shanxi province (陜西省). En route to the tomb site, it rained
heavily and many conscripted workers ran away, leaving very few workers
to escort. He thought that by the time he reached the north all of them
would have run away, and the Qin Government would punish him. If he could
not reach the destination on time he would also be punished for insubordination.
Since he would most probably be punished one way or another, he decided
to rebel against the Qin Government. Liu Bang told the remaining men that
he was not going north but head for the hills to become a bandit and rob
government offices. Fourteen men accepted his invitation and formed a brigand
which soon grew to more than one hundred men.
The district officer of Pei county (沛縣 in present day Jiangsu province
江蘇省) wanted to rebel against the government of Qin as he saw no future
for him as an official of a collapsing central government. Fearing that
the local people would not support him, two of his assistants, Xiao He (蕭
何) and Cao San (曹參), advised the district officer to invite Liu Bang
to help organized an armed force. The district officer agreed and dispatched
another assistant called Fan Kuai (樊噲) to look for Liu Bang who was, in
fact, his brother-in-law. Fan Kuai married the younger sister of Liu Bang's
wife. Fan Kuai's wife was called Lu Xu (呂須). Fan Kuai found his brother-in-
law in the nearby hill and told Liu Bang about the district officer's plan.
Liu Bang and his whole brigand followed Fan Kuai back to the city.
On arrival at the gate of the walled city, when the district officer saw
the two hundred men with Liu Bang as the leader he became frightened. The
district officer believed that he might not be able to control them. He
ordered the gate to be shut. Liu Bang and his men were left outside the
walled-city.
That evening, Xiao He and Cao San and a group of their followers, secretly
left the walled-city and joined Liu Bang who was contemplating his next
move. Without food and shelter Liu Bang knew that his followers would desert
him if he could not find a solution within a few days. So Liu Bang wrote
a letter and tied it to an arrow and launched it into the walled-city. The
letter was for the people inside the walled-city asking them to kill the
district officer and unite with him to destroy the Qin Government. As the
people had suffered much under the Qin Government, they responded to Liu
Bang's appeal and had the district officer killed. They opened the gate
of the walled-city and welcomed Liu Bang and his brigand into the city.
Liu Bang gathered all the people together and told them about the collapsing
Qin Government. He told them that if they did not organize quickly they
could be in a great mess and a thorough defeat. Liu Bang was elected the
new district officer and he organized an armed force. Liu Bang led them
and joined up with the army organized by another rebel called Xiang Yu (項
羽). Eventually In 206BC, Liu Bang and Xiang Yu destroyed the Qin Dynasty.
After the destruction of the Qin Dynasty a civil war broke out between Liu
Bang and Xiang Yu (See my posting titled: Chinese Story - "Liu Bang and
Xiang Yu"). The civil war lasted for five years and Xiang Yu was defeated
by Liu Bang who founded the Han Dynasty (漢朝 206BC to 220AD)
(2) Liu Bei (劉備) born in 161AD and died in 223AD
He was the Emperor of Han Shu (漢蜀) from 221AD to 223AD
Liu Bei founded the Kingdom of Shu Han (蜀漢 221AD to 263AD) with its capital
in Chengdu (成都) in present day province of Sichuan (四川省) during the
period of the Three Kingdoms. The Kingdom of Shu Han was subjugated by Sima
Zhao (司馬昭), the general of the Wei Dynasty (魏朝 220AD to 265AD).
(3) Liu Yu (劉裕), born in 363AD and died in 422AD
He was he 1st Emperor of Song Dynasty from 420AD to $22AD.
Liu Yu founded the Song Dynasty (宋朝 420AD to 479AD. Please don't mix up
with the Song Dynasty [960AD to 1279AD] founded by Zhao Kuangyin 趙匡胤)
with its capital in Jiankang (建康 the present day city of Nanjing 南京
in Jiangsu province 江蘇省). It was during the period of the North and South
Dynasty (南北朝 420AD to 589AD). In 479AD, Xiao Daocheng (蕭道成) usurped
the throne of the Song Dynasty. That was the end of the Song Dynasty and
Xiao Daocheng established his own Dynasty called the Qi Dynasty (齊朝 479AD
to 501AD).
...................................................................
[** The fabulous Chinese surname - LIU 劉**]
There are three Dynasties and four Kingdoms founded by members of the Liu
clan (劉姓).
(1) Liu Bang (劉邦 256BC to 195BC)
Liu Bang was a peasant who joined the army of the Qin Dynasty (秦朝 221BC
to 207BC) as an ordinary soldier. He rose to the rank of an officer in charge
(亭長) of a town called Si Shang (泗上 in present day Jiangsu province 江
蘇省). Liu Bang married a woman by the name of Lu Yan (呂顏).
One day, Liu Bang was ordered to escort a group of fifty conscripted workers
to march north to help building the tomb for the First Emperor in Li Shan
(驪山) in Shanxi province (陜西省). En route to the tomb site, it rained
heavily and many conscripted workers ran away, leaving very few workers
to escort. He thought that by the time he reached the north all of them
would have run away, and the Qin Government would punish him. If he could
not reach the destination on time he would also be punished for insubordination.
Since he would most probably be punished one way or another, he decided
to rebel against the Qin Government. Liu Bang told the remaining men that
he was not going north but head for the hills to become a bandit and rob
government offices. Fourteen men accepted his invitation and formed a brigand
which soon grew to more than one hundred men.
The district officer of Pei county (沛縣 in present day Jiangsu province
江蘇省) wanted to rebel against the government of Qin as he saw no future
for him as an official of a collapsing central government. Fearing that
the local people would not support him, two of his assistants, Xiao He (蕭
何) and Cao San (曹參), advised the district officer to invite Liu Bang
to help organized an armed force. The district officer agreed and dispatched
another assistant called Fan Kuai (樊噲) to look for Liu Bang who was, in
fact, his brother-in-law. Fan Kuai married the younger sister of Liu Bang's
wife. Fan Kuai's wife was called Lu Xu (呂須). Fan Kuai found his brother-in-
law in the nearby hill and told Liu Bang about the district officer's plan.
Liu Bang and his whole brigand followed Fan Kuai back to the city.
On arrival at the gate of the walled city, when the district officer saw
the two hundred men with Liu Bang as the leader he became frightened. The
district officer believed that he might not be able to control them. He
ordered the gate to be shut. Liu Bang and his men were left outside the
walled-city.
That evening, Xiao He and Cao San and a group of their followers, secretly
left the walled-city and joined Liu Bang who was contemplating his next
move. Without food and shelter Liu Bang knew that his followers would desert
him if he could not find a solution within a few days. So Liu Bang wrote
a letter and tied it to an arrow and launched it into the walled-city. The
letter was for the people inside the walled-city asking them to kill the
district officer and unite with him to destroy the Qin Government. As the
people had suffered much under the Qin Government, they responded to Liu
Bang's appeal and had the district officer killed. They opened the gate
of the walled-city and welcomed Liu Bang and his brigand into the city.
Liu Bang gathered all the people together and told them about the collapsing
Qin Government. He told them that if they did not organize quickly they
could be in a great mess and a thorough defeat. Liu Bang was elected the
new district officer and he organized an armed force. Liu Bang led them
and joined up with the army organized by another rebel called Xiang Yu (項
羽). Eventually In 206BC, Liu Bang and Xiang Yu destroyed the Qin Dynasty.
After the destruction of the Qin Dynasty a civil war broke out between Liu
Bang and Xiang Yu. The civil war waged for five years and Xiang Yu was defeated
by Liu Bang who founded the Han Dynasty (漢朝 206BC to 220AD)
(2) Liu Bei (劉備 161AD to 223AD)
Liu Bei founded the Kingdom of Shu Han (蜀漢 221AD to 263AD) with its capital
in Chengdu (成都) in present day province of Sichuan (四川省) during the
period of the Three Kingdoms. The Kingdom of Shu Han was subjugated by Sima
Zhao (司馬昭), the general of the Wei Dynasty (魏朝 220AD to 265AD).
(3) Liu Yuan (劉淵)
Liu Yuan founded the Kingdom of Earlier Han (前漢 304AD to 329AD) with its
capital at Changan (長安 the present day city of Xian 西安市 in Shaanxi
province 陜西省). Liu Yuan belonged to a Xiong Nu tribe (匈奴族) and he
took the surname of Liu because he claimed that he was a descendant of Liu
Bang, the founder of the previous Han Dynasty. In 316AD his successor Liu
Yao (劉曜) renamed Earlier to Earlier Zhao (前趙). Liu Yao was killed in
the battle in 328AD. In the 9th Month of 329AD, a general of Later Zhao
(後趙 318AD to 350AD) called Shi Hu (石虎) killed Prince Xi (熙公子), the
Crown Prince of Earlier Zhao. That was the end of Earlier Zhao Kingdom.
Shi Lei (石勒), the ruler of Later Zhao annexed Earlier Zhao Kingdom.
(4) Liu Yu (劉裕)
Liu Yu founded the Song Dynasty (宋朝 420AD to 479AD) with its capital in
Jiankang (建康 the present day city of Nanjing 南京 in Jiangsu province
江蘇省). It was during the period of the North and South Dynasty (南北朝
420AD to 589AD). In 479AD, Xiao Daocheng (蕭道成) usurped the throne of
the Song Dynasty. That was the end of the Song Dynasty and Xiao Daocheng
established his own Dynasty called the Qi Dynasty (齊朝 479AD to 501AD).
(5) Liu Zhiyuan (劉知遠)
Liu Zhiyuan founded the Later Han Dynasty (後漢朝 947AD to 950) with its
capital in Kaifeng (開封) in Henan province (河南省) during the period of
Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms (五代十國 907AD to 960AD). Liu Zhiyuan was
a member of the Sha Tuo tribe (沙陀族) which was of Turkic origin. In 950AD
Guo Wei (郭威) usurped the throne of Later Han Dynasty. That was the end
of Later Han Dynasty and Guo Wei established his own Dynasty called the
Later Zhou Dynasty (後周朝 951AD to 960AD).
(6) Liu Yan (劉嚴)
Liu Yan founded the Nan Han Kingdom (南漢 917AD to 971AD) with its capital
in the present day city of Guangzhou (廣州) in Guangdong province (廣東省
) during the period of Five Dynasty and Ten Kingdoms. In 970AD, Zhao Kuangyin
(趙匡胤), the First Emperor and founder of the Song Dynasty (宋朝 960AD
to 1279AD) sent, General Pan Mei (潘美將軍) to conquer Nan Han Kingdom.
The ensuing year General Pan Mei overran the present day Guangzhou city,
the capital of Nan Han. Zhao Kuangyin annexed the Kingdom of Nan Han.
(7) Liu Chong (劉祟)
Liu Chong founded the Northern Han Kingdom (北漢 951AD to 979AD) with its
capital in Taiyuan (太原) in Shanxi province (山西省) during the period
of Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms. Northern Han Kingdom was subjugated
by Zhao Guangyi (趙光義), the second Emperor of the Song Dynasty (宋朝 960AD
to 1279AD).
------------------------------------------------------------
Posted to Overseas Chinese Forum at asiawind.com
By CHUNG Yoon-Ngan (鄭永元)
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