Author: CHUNG Yoon Ngan
Date: 01-10-12 07:56
記得少年騎竹馬,---Ji4 de2 shao3 nian2 qi2 zhu2 ma3,
看看又是白頭翁.---Kan4 kan4 you4 shi4 bai2 tou2 weng.
I still can remember riding a bamboo toy horse when I was a kid,
Look at me now, a man with white hair.
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The 33rd most common Chinese surname CHENG 程 (033)
Cheng means: regulations; formula; a journey.
The surname Cheng is about 2,700 years old.
The surname Cheng originated in an area referred to during the Han Dynasty
(漢朝 206BC to 220AD) as the Anding prefecture (安定郡). The present day
location of Anding prefecture is in Guyuan county (固原縣 106 degree East
and 36.0 degree North on the world map) of Gansu province (甘肅省).
In 827BC, Ji Jing (姬靖), a 19 year old man and the eldest son of Zhou King
Li (周厲王) of the Zhou Dynasty (周朝 1134BC to 256BC), ascended the throne
as Zhou King Xuan (周宣王), the 11th King who reigned until 782BC. Zhou
King Xuan reformed the whole administration of the country, knowing his
father had made many mistakes stemming from his greed.
In an attempt to accumulate a massive fortune, his father, Zhou King Li
had nationalized all the businesses in the country; during that time the
economy of the entire country was controlled solely by the aristocrats and
some members of the royal family. The aristocrats and some of the King's
relatives were strongly against his policy of nationalization and eventually
a revolution broke out that ousted Zhou King Li who eventually died in exile.
Zhou King Xuan was careful to ensure that he did not repeat the same mistake
as his father did and employed Xiu Fu (休父) as his financial adviser. Xiu
Fu's father was previously being employed as a Sima (司馬) or officer in
charge of the armed forces, by the late Zhou King Li. Zhou King Xuan bestowed
upon Xiu Fu the title of Bo (伯) or Marquis and also gave him the authority
to rule a district called Cheng (程 located in the east of present day city
of Luoyang 洛陽 of Henan province 河南省). Xiu Fu came to be known Cheng
Boxiu (程伯休) and he renamed his domain the State of Cheng (程國).
Generations later, the State of Cheng was absolved by the State of Zheng
(鄭國 present day Yingyang county 滎陽縣 of Henan province). The offspring
of Cheng Boxiu adopted CHENG (程) as their surname.
After the extinction of the State of Cheng many Chengs relocated themselves
to the west. Eventually, many of them settled down in Anding county (安定
縣) of Gansu province (甘肅省) where it was recorded as the place where
surname Cheng was originated.
The couplet of the Cheng clan is
姓啟程國源流遠,---Xing4 qi3 Cheng guo2 yuan2 liu2 yuan3,
望出安定派系長.---Wang4 chu Anding pai4 xi4 chang2.
Surname Cheng was originated from the State of Cheng
And it began to spread all over the land from Anding.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Prominent persons produced by the Cheng Clan
(1) Cheng Hao (程顥 1032AD to 1085AD)
and brother Cheng Yi (程頤 1033AD to 1107AD)
Both brothers were born in Luo Yang (洛陽) of Henan province (河南省). They
studied under the same master called Zhou Dun Yi (周敦頤) who taught them
the meaning of Li (理) or Logic. Zhou Dun Yi taught them "君君臣臣, 父父
子子, 兄兄弟弟, 夫夫婦婦, 萬物各得其理", "萬物各得其理然後和."
The philosophic ideas of the two brothers were also the same. They had written
many essays on Logic. All their writings were complied into one book titled
"Er Cheng Quan Shu 二程全書 or complete works of the two Chengs".
This is a poem about them
玉色金聲,---Yu4 se4 jin sheng,
祥雲瑞日.---Xiang2 yun2 rui4 ri4.
Jade complexion and golden voice,
Auspicious cloud in a lucky day.
........................................................
(2) Cheng Mo (程邈)
Cheng Mo was a warder during the Qin Dynasty (秦朝 221BC to 207BC). He offended
the First Emperor Ying Zheng (始皇帝嬴政) who jailed him for ten years.
While in prison Cheng Mo invented the Li Shu (隸書) with 3,000 words styled
in calligraphy from the Da Zhuan (大篆) of the Zhou Dynasty (周朝 1134BC
to 256BC). Li Shu was an official script, simplied from Xiao Zhuan (小篆
) which was an ancient style of calligraphy for the purpose of standardizing
the script.
Someone presented the book to the First Emperor, a learned man. After reading
the book the First Emperor was overjoyed and he released Cheng Mo. The First
Emperor issued a decree and adopted the script from Li Shu to write all
the official documents.
During the Han Dynasty (漢朝 206BC to 220AD), the book Li Shu became very
popular. The official script used by Government and the people was following
the style written in the book Li Shu. For over 2,000 years people continued
to write calligraphy according to the style invented by Cheng Mo
.....................................................
(3) Cheng Song Wan (程頌萬 1865AD to 1932AD)
Cheng Song Wan was born in the county of Ning Xiang (寧鄉縣) of Hunan province
(湖南省). He was a poet and nicknamed himself Shi Fa Ju Shi (十發居士) Shi
Fa the Buddhist. His famous couplet is,
揉春為酒,---Rou2 chun wei2 jiu3,
剪雪成詩.---Jian3 xue3 cheng2 shi.
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Posted to Overseas Chinese Forum at asiawind.com
By CHUNG Yoon-Ngan (鄭永元)
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