Author: CHUNG Yoon Ngan
Date: 01-23-12 08:02
言多語失皆因酒,---Yan2 duo yu3 shi jie yin jiu3,
義斷情疏只為錢.---Yi4 duan4 qing2 shu zhi3 wei2 qian2.
Owing to his drinking, he talks a lot of rubbish,
Due to money, he breaks up relationship with friends.
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The 68th most common Chinese surname WEI 韋 (068)
Wei means: man made soft leather.
The surname Wei is more than 3,000 years old.
The surname Wei originated in an area referred to during the Han Dynasty
(漢朝 206BC to 220AD) as the Jingzhao prefecture (京兆郡). The present day
of Jingzhao prefecture is the east of Xian city (西安市 108.9 degree East
and 34.1 degree North on the world map) in Shaanxi province (陜西省).
According to the Shi Ji (史記) or historical records by Sima Qian (司馬遷
145BC to 86BC) in 2205BC, Si Wenming (姒文命) was elected as the ruler
of the united federated tribes. Si Wenming founded the Xia Dynasty (夏朝
2205BC to 1766BC) and he came to be known as Yu Di (禹帝). Yu Di divided
the land under his jurisdiction into nine administrative divisions or Jiu
Zhou (九州). That is why sometimes we refer to this ancient poetic name Jiu
Zhou as China. Yu Di established his capital at Anyi (安邑 in the present
day county of Xia 夏縣 in Shanxi province 山西省).
In 2118BC, Si Shaokang (姒少康) became the fifth King of the Xia Dynasty.
Si Shaokang appointed a descendant of Huang Di (黃帝) or the Yellow Emperor
to administer a settlement called Shiwei (豕韋 in the present day county
of Hua 滑縣 in Henan province 河南省) which was later renamed as the State
of Shiwei (豕韋國).
In 1875BC, the administration of Shiwei was abolished by Xia King Kong Jia
(夏孔甲 王) the thirteenth King of Xia Dynasty. However, after Xia King
Kong Jia's death his son Xia King Gao (夏皋王) revived the administration
of Shiwei and renamed it the State of Wei (韋國) which became a protectorate
state of Xia.
The 17th (the last) ruler of the Xia Dynasty was Xia King Jie (夏桀王) who
reigned from 1818BC to 1766BC. Xia King Jie was a tyrannous King. Zi Tianyi
(子天乙), the leader of a powerful clan called Shang (商 in present day
county of Shangqiu 商邱縣 in Henan province 河南省) had Xia King Jie killed
and the Xia Dynasty destroyed. Zi Tianyi also subjugated all the protectorate
States of Xia, including the State of Wei. Zi Tianyi founded the Shang Dynasty
(商朝 1783BC to 1122BC).
Generations later, one of the descendants of Wei Royaly Family revived the
State of Wei. However, the new State of Wei was crushed by the twenty-third
King of Shang called Shang King Wuding (商武丁王) in 1275BC. The offspring
of this new ruler of the State of Wei adopted WEI (韋) as their surname
in remembrance of their extinct state.
The couplet of surname Wei:
姓起韋國,---Xing4 qi3 Wei Guo,
望出京兆.---Wang4 chu Jingzhao
Surname Wei evolved from the State of Wei,
And originated fro Jingzhao Prefecture.
............................................................
The prominent person produced by the Wei Clan was,
...............................................................
(1) Wei Shaoguang (韋紹光) alias Wei Jinke (韋進可 1816AD to 1901AD).
His motto in battle was,
旗進人進,---Qi2 jin4 ren2 jin4,
旗退人退,---Qi2 tui4 ren2 tui4,
打死無怨.---Da2 si3 wu2 yuan4.
When the flag goes forward men must go forward,
When the flag retreats men must retreat,
If you are killed blame no one.
Although Wei Jinke was born in Sanyuanli (三元里) in the north of Guangdong
province (廣東省), his ancestors were from the county of Xiangshan (香山
the present day county of Zhongshan 中山縣 in Guangdong province). He was
a vegetable grower and was excelled in martial arts. When the Opium War
started in 1840AD Wei Jinke was only 24 years old. In April 1841 the British
troops attacked Guangzhou city and the Qing Army commander, Yi Shan (奕山
) surrendered to the British. On May 29, 1841, the British troops passed
through Sanyuanli plundering and pillaging. Wei Jinke organized the village
folks to fight the British. They killed more than 20 British soldiers. That
evening Wei Jinke called a meeting at the village temple to discuss how
to face the British the next day. 103 villagers attended the meeting. They
discussed tactics to defeat the British. Wei Jinke made a three-star flag
and gave instruction that they should fight according to the movement of
the flag which was, "When the flag move forward men should follow the flag
to go forward. When the flag retreat men should follow the flag to retreat".
The next day they lured the British to a hill called Niulangang (牛欄岡),
not far from Sanyuanli. They surrounded the British and attacked the British
with what they had. The British retreated to Guangzhou city. In that skirmish
more than 200 British soldiers were killed and about thirty of them were
captured alive. The number of villagers killed and wounded by the British
was not mentioned by the Qing Government. After this incident the British
left Sanyuanli alone.
The end result was that the Qing Government lost the war and the island
of Hong Kong was ceded to the British perpetually. Wei Jinke went back to
his profession of growing vegetables. He was miscalculated six decades later.
........................................................
(2) A Tang poem 長安遇馮著
by 韋應物 (740AD to 811AD)
Meeting Mr Feng in Changan [*1A]
客從東方來,---Ke4 cong2 dong fang lai2,
衣上灞陵雨.---Yi shang4 Baling [*2B] yu3.
問客何為來?--Wen4 ke4 he2 wei2 lai2?
采山因買斧.---Cai3 shan yin mai3 fu3.
冥冥花正開,---Ming2 ming2 hua2 zheng kai,
颺颺燕新乳.---Yang2 yang2 yan4 xin ru3
昨別今已春,---Zuo2 bie2 jin yi3 chun,
鬢絲生幾縷.---Bin4 si sheng ji lu3.
The explanations in Chinese and English
(1) 有個客人從東方來,
(2) 他的衣服還帶著灞陵地方的雨點,
(3) 我問這客人為什麼事情的呢?
(4) 他說因為到山裏採柴, 要到此地來買一柄斧頭.
(5) 如今隱隱約約的花朵正要開放著,
(6) 空中飛舞著新生的小燕.
(7) 去年一別, 到現在已是春天了,
(8) 兩邊的髮鬢上, 又添幾根白絲了!
(1) There is a visitor from the east,
(2) His garment is still stained with raindrops from Baling
(3) I ask him why he comes here,
(4) He says he wants to go up the mountain to obtain firewood and he comes
here to buy an axe.
(5) Now the flowers are in full bloom,
(6) The newborn swallows are flying in the sky.
(7) Since I left here last year it is springtime again,
(8) A few more grey hair have grown on my hair!.
Notes:
[*1A] Changan (長安 is the present day city of Xian 西安市in Shaanxi province
陝西省).
[*2B] Baling (灞陵is the present day Baqiao 灞橋 in the east of Xian city.
In the old days the residents of Changan came here to send off their friends
or relatives who were leaving for long journeys).
...........................................................
Posted to Overseas Chinese Forum at asiawind.com
By CHUNG Yoon-Ngan (鄭永元).
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