The Feng Clan#

Surname: Feng, pronounced as “féng”

Areas Where the Feng Clan Is Found**#

• Du Cheng County, Shaanxi
• Changle County, Fujian
• Shiping County, Shaanxi
• Yingchuan County, Henan
• Shangdang County, Shanxi
• Jingzhao County (?), Shanxi
• Hongnong County, Henan
• Hejian County, Hebei

Origin of the Feng Clan#

The origin of the “Feng” surname can be traced to two main lines:

1. From the “Ji” surname: Some clans took the name of their state as their surname. According to “Tongzhi • Shizhu Lue • Yiguo Weisi,” after King Wu of Zhou conquered the Shang Dynasty in the 11th century BC, Bi Gong Gao, the 15th son of King Wen, was first enfeoffed in Bi and later in Fengcheng. His descendants adopted the Feng surname.

2. From the descendants of Feng Jianzi: Feng Jianzi was a high-ranking official of the State of Zheng during the Spring and Autumn period.

Migration and Distribution

• Feng Ting, a general at the end of the Warring States period, served as the defender of Shangdang for the State of Han and later joined the State of Zhao. He died in battle against the Qin Dynasty. His clansmen scattered, with some remaining in Luzhou County, Shangdang (now northeastern Shanxi) and others in Zhao (now in Hebei), where they continued to thrive. Many of his descendants became military leaders and officials, such as Feng Quji, the Chancellor of Qin; Feng Jie, a prominent general; and Feng Wuzhe, the Chief Censor.
• During the pre-Tang period, some Feng clans moved to present-day Shandong. Before the Three Kingdoms era, others migrated to Sichuan and Hubei. In Henan, the Feng clan spread to areas such as Neihuang, Baofeng, Jiaozuo, Nanyang, and Anyang, with the Chaoyang branch being particularly prominent.
• By the end of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, the Feng clan from Changle Xindu (now Jixian, Hebei) moved to Helong (now Chaoyang, Liaoning).
• During the Han and Tang dynasties, the Feng clan expanded rapidly from its original base in Shaanxi to Henan, Hebei, Shanxi, and Fujian. According to the Tang dynasty’s “Yuanhe Xingzuan,” the Feng clan from Yingchuan (now Xuchang, Henan) was descended from Feng Yi, a general who campaigned in the west during the Eastern Han Dynasty; those from Shangdang (now Changzhi, Shanxi) were descendants of Feng Fengshi, a left general of the Western Han Dynasty; those from Changle Xindu were descendants of Feng Can, the Marquis of Yidu during the Han Dynasty; those from Jingzhao (now Xi’an, Shaanxi) were descendants of Feng Hong, the King of Yan; those from Hongnong (now Lingbao, Henan) were descendants of Feng Ning, the grandson of Feng Hong; and those from Hejian (now in the southeast of Beixian County, Hebei) were descendants of Feng Shigu, a censor during the Tang Dynasty.

Notable Figures with the Feng Surname

• Feng Xuan: A man from the State of Qi during the Warring States period. He was a retainer of Lord Mengchang and once faced difficulties such as not having fish to eat or a carriage to travel. He played the zither and sang, which impressed Lord Mengchang, who treated him with special respect. Later, Feng Xuan helped Lord Mengchang collect debts in Xuecheng and ordered the debt collectors to burn the debt receipts, impressing the people of Xue with Lord Mengchang’s kindness.
• Feng Menglong (1574–1646): A literary figure from Wuxian, Jiangsu. He was a talented writer and scholar who wrote several plays. His novels, including “Jingshi Tongyan,” “Yushi Mingyan,” and “Xingshi Hengyan,” are famous and collectively known as the “Three Words.”
• Feng Yuxiang (1880–1948): A native of Chaoyang, Anhui. He joined the new army at the end of the Qing Dynasty and served under Duan Qirui. In 1921, he became the governor of Henan and defected to the Feng clique during the Zhili-Feng war, quickly occupying Beijing and supporting Duan Qirui as president. After the Feng clique’s defeat, he joined the Chinese Nationalist Party and served as the commander of the Northwest National Army and the governor of Henan. After the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, he died in a shipwreck on the Black Sea while returning to China from Soviet Russia.