The Jing Clan#

Surname: Jing, pronounced as “jǐng”

Regions where the Jing Clan is found#

• Nanyang Commandery: During the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, the administrative center of Nanyang Prefecture was located in Nanyang, which corresponds to the ancient Wan County of the Han Dynasty and today’s Nanyang City, Henan Province.
• Fufeng Commandery: Established during the Zhou Dynasty, its jurisdiction covered the areas around present-day Xingping and Xianyang cities in Shaanxi Province.

Origins of the Jing Clan#

1. The surname “Jing” may have originated from the Jiang clan, descendants of the Yan Emperor, choosing this name for its auspicious connotations. “Jing” is also one of the sixty-four hexagrams in the I Ching, symbolizing an inexhaustible source.
2. It could also stem from the Ji clan, particularly from the descendants of Marquis Xing, one of the four sons of the Duke of Zhou, as mentioned in Yang Kuan’s “History of the Western Zhou Dynasty.” A high-ranking official named Jing Li during the Zhou period adopted the surname “Jing.”
3. Another origin is related to place names: During the Spring and Autumn period, a minister from the Yu state was granted the fief of Jingyi (the exact location is unknown), and his descendants adopted the name of their fief as their surname.
4. The Jing and Baili clans share a common ancestor. During the Zhou Dynasty, Jiang Ziya established the state of Qi. One of Jiang Ziya’s descendants held a high position in the Yu state and was granted the title of “Jing Bo” (Lord of Jingyi); his descendants continued to use this name. Another descendant, Jing Xi, served as an official in the state of Qin and was granted the fief of Baili, from which the Baili clan derived its name. Therefore, both clans have the same ancestral roots.
5. The Hercin Hala clan (originally a Mongolian surname) is also recorded in the “Qing Dynasty General Records: Clan Profiles: Mongolian Eight Banners.” This clan, also known as Hada Jin, Hatag Jin, or Hedi Xin, descended from Bukhagataji, the third son of Genghis Khan’s grandmother Alan Hoa. They resided in the Yangshimu area (now part of Liaoning Province), later adopting the Chinese surname “Jing.”

Clan Halls

• Fufeng Hall: Established based on the historical significance of the Fufeng Commandery.
• Nanyang Hall: Established based on the historical significance of Nanyang.
• Wujing Hall: More information is needed for this hall.

Migration and Distribution

The Jing clan is a multi-ethnic and multifaceted group, ranking 278th in the current list of Chinese surnames, with a population of approximately 234,000, accounting for about 0.0014% of the total Chinese population. The clan’s main origin can be traced back to the Yu state during the Zhou Dynasty, with its founding ancestor being Jing Bo, a minister of that state. The earliest settlement of the Jing clan was likely in the Pinglu area. After the fall of the Yu state to the Jin Dynasty, Jing Bo’s descendants migrated: some to present-day Xingping, Shaanxi, and others to Nanyang, Henan, where they became prominent local clans during the Qin and Han dynasties. During the Three Kingdoms, Jin, and Southern and Northern Dynasties, the clan spread to regions such as Shanxi, Hebei, Shandong, and Gansu in the north, as well as to Hubei, Anhui, Hunan, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang in the south. During the late Tang Dynasty and the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, more Jing clan members moved south. The Southern Song Dynasty’s reliance on the south and the frequent wars led to further expansion of the clan’s range, with members settling in Jiangxi, Fujian, Guangdong, Sichuan, and Chongqing. In the early Ming Dynasty, Jing clan members from Shanxi were relocated to Henan, Shandong, Hebei, and Shaanxi as part of the Hongtong Dahuaishu migration. Throughout the Ming Dynasty, the clan became more widespread across China, with branches also appearing in southern provinces like Taiwan. During the Kang and Qian periods of the Qing Dynasty, poor people from Shandong, Henan, Hebei, and Beijing migrated to the northeastern provinces of Liaoning, Heilongjiang, and other areas, bringing the Jing surname with them. Today, the Jing clan is widely distributed across China, with a particularly large presence in provinces such as Liaoning and Shaanxi.