The 余 surname

Yu (余) is one of the major surnames of Taishan, most concentrated around the former Sanba Town (三八镇). According to the family genealogies, most of the Yu of Taishan honor Yu Jing (余靖), a renowned minister of the Northern Song, as their first-generation ancestor; in the first year of Shaoding of the Southern Song (1228), Yu Jing's ninth-generation descendant Yu Shiji (余师箕) moved with his five sons from Qujiang (曲江) in Shaozhou (韶州) to Gugang Prefecture (古冈州; around today's Xinhui, 新会), and his descendants in turn branched out into all parts of Taishan.^[1][2]

Origin of the surname[edit]

There are several accounts of the origin of the Yu surname. The more widely held one makes You Yu (由余) of the Spring and Autumn period the progenitor of the surname: You Yu was originally a man of Jin who fled turmoil to the Western Rong (西戎); later, treated with courtesy by Duke Mu of Qin (秦穆公), he went over to Qin and planned for Qin the conquest of the states of the Western Rong. His descendants took his name as their surname and divided into two surnames, Yu (余) and You (由). Other accounts derive it from the descendants of Yu the Great (大禹), or from Baoyu (褒余), an ancient place name.^[3]

The Yu chapter of Origins of Taishan's Surnames (《台山姓氏源流》) lists the You Yu account, the account of descent from Yu the Great, and the account that "the Xu (徐), Yu (余), Tu (涂) and She (佘) share one origin"; the author leans toward the You Yu account and, citing the Preface to the Genealogy of the Yu of Xiapi (《下邳余氏世谱序》) written by Yu Jing, states that the Yu take Xiapi (下邳) as their ancestral commandery.^[1]

Coming to Taishan[edit]

According to the Genealogy of the Yu Shaoxian Hall (《余绍贤堂族谱》) cited in that chapter, in the Kaiyuan period of the Tang, Yu Qin (余钦) served as an Erudite of the Imperial Academy (太学博士) and lived at Xiuning (休宁) in Shezhou (歙州); the line passed down five generations to Yu Yin (余寅), who moved to Tong'an (同安) in Quanzhou (泉州), Fujian, and in the reign of Emperor Xizong of Tang, fleeing the rebellion of Huang Chao (黄巢), moved on to Guangze (光泽) in Shaowu (邵武). Yu Yin's eldest son, Yu Cong (余从), moved in the Five Dynasties to Bacui Ward (拔萃坊) in Qujiang, Shaozhou, Guangdong, and the line passed down to his great-grandson Yu Jing. Later generations honored Yu Jing as the first-generation ancestor and regarded Shaozhou as the place where their line arose.^[1]

Yu Jing's three sons each founded a line: the eldest, Bozhuang (伯庄), the "Tian" (天, Heaven) line; the second, Zhongxun (仲荀), the "Di" (地, Earth) line (Xiangxian Hall, 象贤堂); and the third, Shuying (叔英), the "Ren" (人, Man) line (Shaoxian Hall, 绍贤堂). Some descendants of Zhongxun's line moved to Xinhui, Kaiping (开平), and, in Taishan, to the villages of the Ren section (人字股) of Rulinli (儒林里), Guishui (桂水), Sanhe (三合) and other places; the line of Shuying's eldest son, Sili (嗣立), spread to Kaiping, Enping (恩平), Taishan, Yangjiang (阳江), Xinhui and other places.^[1]

The line of Shuying's second son, Sijing (嗣京), lived in Qujiang for generations, down to Yu Shiji of the ninth generation. In the first year of Shaoding of the Southern Song (1228), Yu Shiji, then forty-six, moved with his five sons, Hanlao (汉老), Tanglao (唐老), Guolao (国老), Chunlao (椿老) and Jilao (季老), to Gugang Prefecture, settling at Hetang Township (荷塘乡) in Hua'e (华萼), Xinhui. The five sons were later buried together near Nancun Village (南村) in Hetang, Xinhui, at what is popularly called the "Five Lao Tomb" (五老坟); rebuilt twice, in the 12th year of the Republic (1923) and in 1996, it is where Yu clansmen from many places come to worship their ancestors.^[1]

The line of Hanlao

The chapter calls Yu Hanlao of the tenth generation the main source of the Yu of the Five Counties (五邑), and above all of Taishan. Hanlao had four sons: the descendants of the eldest, Qian Weng (谦翁), settled in the villages of the Ren section of Rulinli in Taishan and at Nawang (那旺), Nankeng (南坑), Guanghai (广海), Chonglou (冲蒌), Taicheng (台城), Baisha (白沙), Shangchuan (上川), Sijiu (四九) and other places; the second, Wei Weng (谓翁), moved to Huanglian (黄连) in Shunde (顺德); the third, Xiang Weng (详翁), moved to Kaiping; and the descendants of the fourth, Xun Weng (询翁), are found in Taishan, Kaiping, Enping, Xinhui, Heshan (鹤山), Zhongshan (中山), Yangjiang and other places.^[1]

Qian Weng's second son, Ran Weng (然翁), was adopted out as heir to Xun Weng and had two sons, Yingxing (应星) and Yingmao (应昴); the descendants of both branches started out from Libian Village (里边村) in Taishan. The Yingxing branch later spread to the villages of the Shang section (上字股) of Rulinli and to Sanhe, Nawang and Baisha; the Yingmao branch later spread to the villages belonging to Wuxiang Bao (五乡堡), Liuxiang Bao (六乡堡), Jiuxiang Bao (九乡堡) and Liuguwei (六股围) in the Da section (大字股) of Rulin, and to Sanhe, Nawang, Guanghai and Haiyan (海宴). Qian Weng's third son, Lie Weng (烈翁), had seven sons, of whom the four branches of Nanlong (南龙), Yuelong (跃龙), Xinglong (兴龙) and Yuanlong (元龙) live in Taishan.^[1]

The genealogies of many Taishan surnames say their forebears came from Zhuji Lane (珠玑巷) in Nanxiong (南雄). Writing on the Zhuji Lane migrants in Xinning Magazine (《新宁杂志》), Huang Renfu (黄仁夫) holds that the Taishan Yu's honoring of Yu Jing as their founding ancestor, and the Fengcai Tower (风采楼) in Shaoguan (韶关) where Yu Jing is worshipped to this day, must be directly connected with the Zhuji Lane migrants; the migration route recorded in the Yu chapter, however, runs directly from Qujiang in Shaozhou to Gugang Prefecture and does not mention Zhuji Lane.^[4][1]

Distribution[edit]

Origins of Taishan's Surnames (Volume 1) says that Taishan is where the Yu are most concentrated, and within Taishan, Sanba Town comes first. By the book's incomplete count (figures from the late 1990s), the Yu living in their home villages in Taishan numbered about 31,000, in 22 towns, 67 administrative districts (管区) and 203 natural villages; of these, Sanba Town accounted for 13 districts and 109 natural villages, with about 16,500 people. Those living overseas outnumber those at home.^[1]

The Yu villages around Dihai (荻海) in Taishan were formerly known collectively as "Rulinli", and also as Yucunli (余村里). According to the same book, the Yucunli of Dihai, which originally belonged to Taishan, with 6 administrative districts, 70 natural villages and more than 8,000 people, was transferred to Kaiping County in 1953.^[1]

Generation names[edit]

The generation names used by the Yucunli of Dihai from Yu Jing's 24th generation on are: "国 (Guo) 守 (Shou) 世 (Shi) 传 (Chuan), 隆 (Long) 英 (Ying) 表 (Biao) 章 (Zhang). 中 (Zhong) 和 (He) 毓 (Yu) 庆 (Qing), 绪 (Xu) 振 (Zhen) 名 (Ming) 扬 (Yang). 昌 (Chang) 其 (Qi) 滋 (Zi) 大 (Da), 显 (Xian) 耀 (Yao) 荣 (Rong) 祥 (Xiang)." They run from 国 (Guo) in the 24th generation to 祥 (Xiang) in the 47th. Those from 中 (Zhong) on were continued by Yu Tinghuai (余廷槐) of Chonglou; because one of the remote ancestors was named Qing (庆), the phrase 毓庆 (Yuqing) has in some cases been changed to 礼乐 (Lile).^[1]

Ancestral halls and overseas Chinese magazines[edit]

• Zhongxiang Gong Ancestral Hall, Taicheng (台城忠襄公祠): on Caolang Street (草朗街) in Taicheng; it no longer exists.^[1]
• Zhongxiang Gong Ancestral Hall, Dihai (荻海忠襄公祠): at Jiaodizui (茭荻咀), Dihai Port (荻海埠); work began in the 33rd year of Guangxu of the Qing (1907) and it was completed in the 4th year of the Republic (1915). Its rear building, called the Fengcai Tower, houses an image of Yu Jing. Fengcai Middle School (风采中学) once used the hall as its campus.^[1]
• Fengcai Hall (风采堂): the Yu use "Fengcai" (风采) as their hall name, taken from the line "更加风采动朝端" ("his fine bearing stirs the court all the more") in a poem Cai Xiang (蔡襄) presented to Yu Jing. The Fengcai Tower in Shaoguan, first built in the 10th year of Hongzhi of the Ming (1497), is regarded by Fengcai Halls everywhere as their mother tower; San Francisco has the All-America Yu Fengcai Head Hall (全美余风采总堂), and many cities in the United States and Canada also have a Yu Fengcai Hall.^[1]
• Fengcai Monthly (《风采月刊》): the overseas Chinese magazine of the Yu of Taishan and Kaiping; in the United States there is also a Fengcai Quarterly (《风采季刊》).^[1]
• Wuxi Middle School (武溪中学): in the former Sanba Town, built in 1986 with donations from Yu clansmen in China and overseas; it is named after Yu Jing's art name, "Wuxi".^[1]

People[edit]

• Yu Jing (1000–1064), of Qujiang, Shaozhou; a jinshi (palace graduate) of the 2nd year of Tiansheng of the Northern Song (1024); in the 3rd year of Qingli (1043) he served as a remonstrance official together with Ouyang Xiu (欧阳修), Wang Su (王素) and Cai Xiang; he rose to Minister of Works, received the posthumous name Xiang, and wrote the Wuxi Collection (《武溪集》). The Taishan Yu honor him as their first-generation ancestor.^[1]
• Yu Jiaxiang (余家相), of Libian Township (里边乡), Sanba; a civil jinshi of the Qing.^[1]
• Yu Tingbao (余廷保), of Tongle Township (同乐乡), Sanba; a military jinshi of the Qing.^[1]
• Yu Chengwan (余程万, 1902–1955), of Zhangcun Village (涨村), Sanba; a general of the National Revolutionary Army; in the Battle of Changde in 1943 he commanded the 57th Division and led it in the defense of Changde (常德).^[1]
• Yu Hongrong (余宏荣), of Jiangchong Township (降冲乡), Sanba; according to Origins of Taishan's Surnames, the first Chinese city councilor in the history of Vancouver, Canada.^[1]