Chinese surname Li (LEE)

[CHUNG Yoon-Ngan <chungyn@mozart.joinet.net.au>]

Dear Hakka Friends,

The Chinese version of the origin of surname LI (LEE) was 
published by an Australian newspaper "The Australian Chinese Times" 
on 1-9-1999. I like to send the Forum a copy, but I don't know how to
send a Chines e-mail. Anyway, here is the English version, with Chinese
characters on the romanized Chinese names, for our Hakka Lis (LEEs).

Yoon-Ngan.


Chinese surname LI (李)
Li means: plum
The surname Li is about 3000 years old.

The surname Li originated in an area referred to during the Qin Dynasty 
(秦朝 221BC to 207BC) as the Long Xi Jun (隴西郡). The present day location 
of Long Xi Jun is in Lin Tao Xian (臨洮縣) of Gansu province (甘肅省).

According to Chinese historical records, Gao Tao (皋陶) was the descendant 
of Ji Zhi (己摯) who was the son of Huang Di (黃帝) the Yellow Emperor, 
the legendary founder of the Chinese race. Gao Tao was employed as Da Li 
(大理) or Law Official in the administration of Yao Di (堯帝), the chief 
of federated tribes in ancient China. The offspring of Gao Tao inherited his 
official position as Da Li. They came to be known as Li Shi (理氏) and they 
gave themselves the surname Li (理).

Many generations after Gao Tao, during the Shang Dynasty (商朝 1783BC to 
1122BC) a descendant Gao Tao, Li Zheng (理徵), was employed as a Jian Guan 
(諫官) or legal advisor by King Zhou (紂王 1154BC to 1122BC), the 
thirty-first king of Shang Dynasty. 

King Zhou was a wicked and cruel man; he was however, a very clever and 
capable King and King Zhou seldom listened to his advisors. Later he 
married the most beautiful woman in the land. Her name was Su Da Ji 
(蘇妲己) who was as beautiful as her contemporary beauty Helen of Troy 
in Greece (希臘 的海倫). The couple neglected the welfares of the 
country and lived extravagantly. King Zhou built many big palaces and in 
the process squandered the wealth of the country. He became wicked and 
cruel and would kill or torture anyone who dared to criticise him on his 
spending.

Zhou clan (周族) lived in the Wei (渭)Valley, west of the great bend of 
the Yellow River. Zhou's territory was under the jurisdiction of the 
Shang empire and was therefore required to send Ji Chang (姬昌), their 
leader to serve in the Shang Court as an advisor and one of his sons, Ji Kao 
(姬考) was assigned as  his assistant. 

One day Ji Chang told King Zhou about the deficient financial situation 
of the country and advised him not to be too much of a spendthrift. King 
Zhou was angry and imprisoned Ji Chang and had Ji Kao executed. 
 
Ji Chang was released after three years and he returned to his homeland 
dying soon after. His elder son, Ji Fa (姬發) succeeded him as the 
leader of the Zhou clan. Ji Fa wanted to take revenge on King Zhou, but 
he could not do so because the Zhou clan was not strong enough to take on 
King Zhou. 

Twelve years later in 1122BC Ji Fa belived that his people were ready to 
fight King Zhou and challenged King Zhou in battle. Li Zheng advised 
King Zhou not to do fight, but King Zhou was furious at this suggestion. 
With a whim of anger he killed Li Zheng and his family. 

Qi He Shi (契和氏), the wife of Li Zheng took their youngest son Li Li Zhen 
(理利貞) and escaped to Xu (墟 present day southern region of Yi He 伊河 
in Henan province 河南省), the former domain of Yi Yin (伊尹) who was 
the first Prime Minister of the Shang Dynasty. On the way to Xu there 
was no food and water for the mother and the child. Fortunately it was 
the Li (李) or plum season and there were plum trees in blossom along 
the way. Qi He Shi had to climb up the tree to pluck the sweet and juicy 
plums to sustain themselves. Mother and child survived by eating only 
plums. 

The decisive battle between the Zhou people and King Zhou was fought in
Mu Ye (牧野 present day Ji Xian 汲縣 in Henan province). The Shang army 
were defeated, ending of the Shang Dynasty. Ji Fa established the Zhou 
Dynasty (周朝1134BC to 256BC) and he was known as Zhou King Wu (周武王). 

When Qi He Shi and her son settled down in Xu, Qi He Shi changed her 
son's surname from Li (理) to Li (李), which has the same pronunciation 
but different meaning.

When Li Li Zhen (李利貞) grew up he married his cousin sister Ru Chang 
(女昌), the daughter of Qi He Shi's younger sister.

Eleven generations after Li Li Zhen one of his descendant ,Li Dan (李聃) 
became known as Lao Zi (老子), the founder of Taoism (道教). The 
great-grandson of Li Dan was Li Tan (李曇) who had two sons. One was 
called Li Ji (李璣) and the other Li Chong (李崇). Li Ji lived in Zhao 
Jun (趙郡) in Hebei province (河北省) and Li Chong settled down in Long 
Xi Jun (隴西郡) of Gansu province (甘肅省) where it was recorded in 
history as the place where surname Li originated.

CHUNG Yoon-Ngan  ( 鄭  永  元 )

chungyn@mozart.joinet.net.au
Copyright 1999. All rights reserved.