The Yu Clan#

Surname: Yu, pronounced as "yú"

Distribution of the Yu Clan#

He Dong Jun: He Dong Jun was established during the Qin Dynasty, with its administrative center in An Yi (now northwest of Xia County, Shanxi Province), governing the southwestern region of Jin. During the Eastern Jin Dynasty, the capital was moved to Pu Ban (now Pu Zhou Town, Yongji, Shanxi Province, which occurred after Liu Yu overthrew the Later Qin). During the Sui and Tang Dynasties, it was known as Pu Zhou He Dong Jun. The Sui Dynasty also created He Dong County, with Pu Ban as its administrative center. In the Ming Dynasty, He Dong County was merged into Pu Zhou.
He Nei Jun: In ancient times, the area north of the Yellow River was called He Nei, while the areas to the south and west were referred to as He Wei, according to the views of the people of Jin. He Nei Jun was established during the Chu-Han period, governing the western part of what is now northern Henan, with its administrative center in Huai County (now southwest of Wuzhi, Henan Province). During the Western Jin Dynasty, the capital was moved to Ye Wang (now Qinyang). In the Sui Dynasty, Ye Wang became He Nei County. During the Sui and Tang Dynasties, He Nei Jun was also known as Huai Zhou. In the Yuan Dynasty, it was called Huai Qing Lu; during the Ming and Qing Dynasties, it was called Huai Qing Fu. The name of He Nei County remained unchanged and often served as the administrative center. During the Republic of China government, He Nei County was renamed Qinyang.

He Jian Jun: During the Han Dynasty, there was He Jian Jun (or He Jian Guo), with its administrative center in Le Cheng (now southeast of Xian County, Hebei Province). It was established during the Northern Wei Dynasty and later moved to present-day Hejian, Hebei Province. During the Sui and Tang Dynasties, it was known as Ying Zhou He Jian Jun. In the late Northern Song Dynasty, it was promoted to He Jian Fu, with its administrative center in Hejian (present-day Hejian). According to the "Zhou Li Shu," one of the ministers of the Yellow Emperor was named Yu Gan, which is considered the origin of the Yu surname. The ancestral home of the Yu clan is said to be He Jian.

Jiang Ling Jun: During the Han Dynasty, Jiang Ling County was established and served as the administrative center of Nan Jun. During the Southern Dynasties (Qi), it was renamed Jiang Ling Jun, governing the area around present-day Jiangling, Hubei Province. In 937, the Southern Tang Dynasty changed its name to Jiang Ning Fu. Both the Northern Song Dynasty and the Qing Dynasty used Jiang Ning Fu. Jiang Ning could also refer to a county, either within or outside the city area. During the Qing Dynasty, it was part of Jiangsu Province along with Shang Yuan County. During the Republic of China, the Jiang Ning Fu and Shang Yuan County were abolished, and Jiang Ning County became the provincial capital. When the Nationalist government established its capital in Nanjing, Jiang Ning was moved to the suburbs.

Origins of the Yu Clan#

The origin of the Yu surname can be traced to four sources:

1. It originates from Yu Fu, a minister of the Yellow Emperor. According to historical records such as the "Tong Zhi·Shi Zu Lue" and the "Shi Ji," Yu Fu was a renowned physician with exceptional medical skills, especially in pulse diagnosis. The ancient character for "Yu" was similar to the character for "shu," which means "the point where the pulse enters," and "Yu" also sounded similar to "yu," meaning "to heal." Therefore, his descendants adopted the name Yu, in honor of his medical achievements.
2. During the Spring and Autumn period, there were members of the Yu clan among the nobles of the states of Zheng and Chu.
3. The surname was adopted by people from other ethnic groups who changed their surnames, such as the Manchu people from Shenyang, Liaoyang, and Zhang Luo during the Qing Dynasty. Additionally, ethnic groups like the Yi, Tujia, Hui, and Korean also have the Yu surname.
4. It originates from the Yu tribe during the Shang Dynasty.

The Founder of the Clan: Yu Fu is considered the founder of the Yu clan. Legend has it that he was the ancestor of traditional Chinese medicine. He experienced various herbs with Shennong and mastered modern surgical techniques such as skin incisions and internal organ cleaning. When the Yellow Emperor's youngest son, Yu Yang, fell seriously ill, Yu Fu was called upon to treat him. Although Yu Yang was on the brink of death, Yu Fu performed a complex surgery that saved his life. Someone asked him, "You cut open his abdomen; what if you couldn't save him? Wouldn't you bear responsibility?" Yu Fu replied, "The primary duty of a doctor is to forget about oneself; only by doing so can one truly focus on the patient." His medical expertise saved many lives, and people began to call him Yu Fu. His name was later shortened to Yu.

Migration and Distribution: The Yu surname has a long history, dating back to the Yellow Emperor's era over five thousand years ago. Nobles from the states of Zheng and Chu during the Spring and Autumn period also adopted the surname. However, before the Sui and Tang Dynasties, few individuals with the Yu surname were recorded in historical documents. During the Tang Dynasty, under Empress Wu Zetian, a mountain suddenly appeared in Jiang Ling (present-day Qianjiang, Hubei Province), which she attributed to her rule as a woman in a male-dominated era. This incident led to Yu Fu's exile to the remote Lingnan region, where many descendants of the Yu clan settled in Guangdong and Guangxi. According to "Jun Wang Bai Jia Xing" and "Shi Zi Kao Lue," the Yu clan was widespread in Shanxi, Henan, Hebei, and H