The Yan Clan#

Clan Name: Yan, pronounced as yán

Distribution of the Yan Clan#

According to "Shixing Kaolüe," there are three main regions associated with the Yan clan:

• Tianshui Commandery: During the Han Dynasty, the administrative center of Tianshui Commandery was in Pingxiang (now in Tongwei County, Gansu Province). In the Eastern Han period, it was temporarily renamed Hanyang Commandery and its capital was moved to Jixian (now in Gangu County). The Wei Dynasty restored the original name Tianshui. During the Western Jin Dynasty, the capital was moved to Shangbang (present-day Tianshui City).
• Fengyi Commandery: Established by Emperor Wu of Han, it was renamed Fengyi Commandery during the Three Kingdoms period under the Wei Dynasty, with its capital in Linjin (around present-day Dali County, Shaanxi Province).
• Huayin Commandery: An ancient county name. During the Spring and Autumn period, it was part of the State of Jin. In the Han Dynasty, Huayin County was established, named after its location north of Mount Hua. The administrative center was in what is now Huayin County, Shaanxi Province, and during the Southern Song Dynasty, the capital was moved to the northwest of present-day Mian County, Shaanxi Province. In the first year of the Tang Dynasty's Tianbao era (742 AD), Huazhou was renamed Huayin Commandery, with its capital in Zheng County (now Huaxian County, Shaanxi Province), and in the first year of the Qianyuan era (758 AD), it was reverted to Huazhou.

Origins of the Yan Clan#

There are six theories about the origin of the Yan surname:

1. From the Zhuang Clan: To avoid the name of Emperor Ming of Han, Liu Zhuang, the surname was changed to Yan. According to "Tongzhi·Shizú Lüe·Yi Shì Wéi Shì," during the Eastern Han period, the Zhuang clan changed their surname to Yan to avoid offending Liu Zhuang. Later, some members of the Yan clan reverted to their original Zhuang surname, leading to the coexistence of both Zhuang and Yan surnames.
2. From the Mi Clan: Descendants of King Zhuang of Chu during the Warring States period, they adopted their posthumous title as their surname. According to "Yuanhe Xingzuan," the Mi clan traced their lineage back to Emperor Zhuanxu, a descendant of the Yellow Emperor.
3. From the Yan Junji of the Qin State: During the Warring States period, someone named Yan Junji was granted a fief in Yan Dao County, Shu Commandery (present-day Xingjing, Sichuan Province), and his descendants adopted the Yan surname.
4. From the ancient state of Yan: Residents of this state adopted the name of their state as their surname.
5. From the Dingling people: During the Jin Dynasty, some Dingling people took the Yan surname.
6. From ethnic minorities: Surnames such as Manchu, Yi, Tu, Xibe, and Korean also include the Yan surname.

Patriarch of the Yan Clan

The patriarch of the Yan clan is Yan Ji. Yan Ji, originally surnamed Zhuang, became known as Master Yan due to his reputation. He was a renowned scholar and poet of the Western Han Dynasty, with twenty-four works of prose and poetry. Only one of his works, "Aiyisheng," has survived to this day, expressing his lament for Qu Yuan. During the Eastern Han Dynasty, an edict ordered the Zhuang clan to change their surname to avoid Emperor Ming of Han's name. Yan Ji's surname became the official Yan clan name after his death.

Migration and Distribution

The Yan clan primarily originated from the Zhuang clan. Initially, they were widely distributed in Shandong, Hubei, Anhui, and Zhejiang provinces. During the Wei and Jin dynasties, they also settled in northern regions such as Shaanxi, Shanxi, Henan, and Gansu, with Tianshui, Fengyi, and Huayin Commanderies being the most prominent centers of the clan. However, due to wars and dynastic changes, the Yan clan in the Central Plains declined, while they became more prominent in the south. After the Tang Dynasty, although they faced challenges, notable figures from the Yan clan still appeared in historical records, such as Yan Tingzhi from Huayin. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, they were predominantly found in Anhui, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and along the coastal areas of Fujian.

Hall Names of the Yan Clan

Common hall names of the Yan clan include "Tianshui Hall," "Fuchun Hall," "Tiushan Hall," "Guqiu Hall," "Yiya Hall," "Shiwu Hall," "Haiyun Hall," and others.

Characteristics of the Yan Clan

The Yan clan is a typical southern Chinese surname. Its members have both literary and martial talents. Many have been known for their integrity and filial piety, such as Yan Zun, who studied the "Laozi" in seclusion, and Yan Guang, a hermit. Military figures include Yan Yan and Yan Wu from the Three Kingdoms and Tang dynasties.

Common Couplets for Yan Clan Ancestral Halls

Couplets for the Yan clan ancestral hall include:

• "Fuchun Liufang" (The fragrance of Fuchun): This couplet refers to the story of Yan Guang, who avoided power and lived a reclusive life.
• "Xingze Shizai" (The legacy of Tianshui): It emphasizes the clan's roots in Tianshui.
• "Xingyuan Mishi" (The surname originates from the Mi clan): It traces the clan's lineage to the Mi family.
• "Huiji Xianshou" (The virt