Author: CHUNG Yoon Ngan
Date: 01-09-12 16:30
橫眉冷對千夫指,---Heng2 mei2 leng3 dui4 qian fu2 zhi3,
俯首甘為孺子牛.---Fu3 shou3 gan wei2 ru2 zi3 niu2.
Fierce-browed, I cooly defy a thousand pointing fingers,
Head-bowed, like a willing ox I serve the children.
Lu Xun (魯迅 1880 to 1936)
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The 31st most common Chinese surname FENG 馮 (031)
Feng means: riding a horse to cross the river.
The surname Feng is about 3,000 years old.
The surname Feng originated in an area referred to during the Jin Dynasty
(晉朝 265AD to 420AD) as Shiping prefecture (始平郡). The present day location
of Shiping prefecture is in a place of about ten kilometers southeast of
Xingping county (興平縣108.5 degree East and 34.2 degree North on the world
map) of Shaanxi province (陜西省).
In 1122BC Zhou King Wu (周武王) destroyed the Shang Dynasty (商朝 1783BC
to 1122BC) and established the Zhou Dynasty (周朝 1134BC to 256BC). Zhou
King Wu not only gave his younger brother Ji Gao (姬高) authority to rule
a district called Bi (畢 an area north of modern day of Xianyang 咸陽 city
in Shaanxi province 陜西省) but also bestowed upon him the inheritable title
of Gong (公) or the Duke. Ji Gao eventually became known as Bi Gaogong (畢
高公). He did not live in the district of Bi but chose to live in the capital,
Hao (鎬), so that he could help his eldest brother Zhou King Wu to govern
the country.
Zhou King Wu died in 1116BC and was succeeded by his eldest son Ji Song
(姬誦) who was crowned Zhou King Cheng (周成王1115BC to 1079BC). Bi Gaogong
continued to help Zhou King Cheng to govern the country.
During the reign Zhou King Kang (周康王1078BC to 1055BC), the 3rd King of
the Zhou Dynasty, the grandson of Bi Gaogong called Bi Wan (畢萬) was employed
as a Da Fu (大夫) or Great Officer in the Zhou Court.
In about 1067BC Zhou King Kang awarded Bi Wan the inheritable title of Zi
(子) or the Viscount as a reward to his distinguished service. Zhou King
Kang also appointed him as the administrator of a town called Feng which
was located west of present day Yingyang county (滎陽縣) of Henan province
(河南省). [Note: the character of this Feng at that time was written as;
2dots+a horse+a big ear on the right.]
The town of Feng was absorbed by the State of Zheng (鄭國 present day Yingyang
county in Henan province.) The offspring of Viscount Bi Wan adopted Feng
(馮) as their surname. [Note: this feng was written without the radical
big ear on the right. The big ear is the same as Yi (邑) which means a town
or a place. The offspring of Viscount Bi Wan argued that since they had
lost their town they should have their surname without the radical Yi. Ultimately
it became Feng (馮).
The couplet of surname Feng is,
望出為二馬,---Wang4 chu wei2 er4 ma3,
馮姓居始平.---Feng xing4 ju Shiping
Surname Feng was evolved with two horses,
An it was originated from Shiping prefecture.
Famous persons of the Feng Clan.
(1) Feng Menglong (馮夢龍 1574AD to 1646AD)
Feng Menglong was born in the county of Wu (吳縣) in Jiangsu province (江
蘇省). He passed the Imperial Examination during the early reign of Emperor
Yi Zong Zhu Youjian (毅宗皇帝朱由檢 1628AD to 1644AD), the last Emperor
of the Ming Dynasty (明朝 1368AD to 1644AD). He was appointed as an official.
He had written many books and the popular ones were 喻世明言 (Yu Shi Ming
Yan), 警世通言 (Jing Shi Tong Yan), 醒世恆言 (Xing Shi Heng Yan), 春秋指
月 (Chun Qiu Zhi Yue) and the historical novel 東周列國 (Dong Zhou Lie Guo).
People called him 三言戴夢龍 (San Yan Dai Meng Long.
........................................................................
(2) Feng Zicai (馮子材 1818AD to 1903AD)
Feng Zicai was born in the county of Qin (欽縣) in Guangdong province (廣
東省). He was a general stationed in the province of Yunnan (雲南省). In
1884AD, French troops occupied northern Vietnam and tried to invade Yunnan
province. General Feng Zicai defended the Nanguan Pass (南關 the present
day Friendship Pass 友誼關) and stopped the French incursion. General Feng
counter-attacked and recaptured the town of Liangshan (諒山). The scholars
wrote about him,
威震邊關,---Wei zhen4 bian guan,
名傳中外.---Ming2 chuan2 zhong wai4.
His military prowess was known far and wide in the border area,
And he lived up to his reputation.
.......................................................................
(3) Feng Yunshan (馮雲山 1822AD to 1852AD)
Feng Yunshan was born in the county of Hua (花縣) in Guangdong province
廣東省). He was the second cousin brother (表弟) of Hong Xiuquan (洪秀全
), the leader of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom (太平天國 1851AD to 1864AD).
He was a village school teacher and had taken part in the uprising in Village
Jintian (金田村) in Guiping county (桂平縣) in Guangdong province (廣東省
). He was a co-founder of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. He helped Hong Xiuquan
in setting up the policy of the Heavenly Kingdom. Hong Xiuquan awarded him
the title of Nan Wang (南王 the Southern Prince). He was killed in battle
in 1852AD.
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Posted to Overseas Chinese Forum at asiawind.com
By CHUNG Yoon-Ngan (鄭永元)
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