The Fu Clan#

Clan Name: Fu (pronounced: fù)

Distribution of the Fu Clan#

• Qi County: During the Western Han Dynasty, it was initially called Linzi County and later renamed Qi County, with its administrative center in Linzi (now Zibo City, Shandong Province). In the Sui and Tang dynasties, it was known as Qingzhou Beihai County. According to the Tongzhi Shizú Lüe, the clan originated from the descendants of Fu Chen, a high-ranking official of the Zhou dynasty. The clan's origin can be traced back to Qi County and Chenliu.
• Jiyin County: Established in the sixth year of Emperor Jing of Han's reign (144 AD), it was renamed Jiyin County in the first year of Emperor Yuan of Han's reign (48 AD). Its administrative center was in the area around present-day Dingtao County, Shandong Province.
• Chenliu County: Founded by Emperor Qin Shi Huang and renamed Chenliu County during the Han dynasty. It is located in the area of present-day Kaifeng, Henan Province.

Origins of the Fu Clan#

The name “Fu” has the following origins:

1. It originates from the Ji surname. During the reign of King Xiang of Zhou, there was a high-ranking official named Fu Chen in the state of Zheng. His descendants adopted his name as their clan name, thus becoming the Fu clan.
2. According to the Yuanhe Xing Zuan, during the Spring and Autumn period, there were officials named Fu Fuzhongsheng and Fu Fuhuai in the state of Lu. Their descendants formed the Fu Fushi clan, which was later simplified to the Fu clan.

Ancestor of the Clan: Fu Chen In the late Spring and Autumn period, the Zhou royal family gradually weakened, and the vassal states no longer obeyed them fully. When King Xiang of Zhou wanted to attack the state of Zheng (which had ties with the state of Chu), he considered borrowing troops from the Zhai people, a barbarian tribe to the west. Fu Chen opposed this idea, saying, “Although Zheng may have committed mistakes, they are still of the same clan as Zhou and are brothers. The Zhai people are fierce and brutal; borrowing their troops is like inviting wolves into one’s home.” Despite Fu Chen’s advice, King Xiang went ahead and borrowed troops from the Zhai people, capturing cities such as Lique. To win over the Zhai people, King Xiang even planned to marry a Zhai woman as his concubine, but Fu Chen again opposed this, arguing that it would be inappropriate for the Son of Heaven to marry a foreign woman. The Zhai people were already greedy, and such a marriage could lead to their ambitions for the Central Plains. King Xiang ignored his warnings and married the Zhai woman, Shu Kui, whom he favored greatly. When Shu Kui became involved in an affair with King Xiang’s brother, King Xiang discovered this and Shu Kui fled to the Zhai people, using this as an excuse to attack the Zhou dynasty. Since the Zhou army could not defeat the Zhai people, Fu Chen advised King Xiang to flee to Zheng. Fearing that Zheng might not welcome him, Fu Chen said, “The ancestors of the ruler of Zheng had once served Zhou well; by going to Zheng, you can give them an opportunity to prove their loyalty.” After King Xiang fled, Fu Chen led hundreds of his clansmen to protect his retreat and fought bravely against the Zhai people, suffering many injuries. Someone advised him to leave, but Fu Chen replied, “I have repeatedly advised the king, but he did not listen, leading to this situation. If I do not die, the king will feel ashamed to see me.” He fought to the death, along with hundreds of his clansmen. He is considered the most loyal minister of the Spring and Autumn period. Fu Chen, being a member of the Zhou royal family, took the name of his fief (Fu) as his clan name, and his descendants followed this tradition.

Clan Hall Names: The main hall name of the Fu clan is “Zhi Zhi Tang” (Hall of Knowing When to Stop).

Migration and Distribution As of January 2009, the total population of the Fu clan did not rank within the top 300 of China’s largest clans. However, in the Song dynasty’s version of the Baijia Xing (Book of Hundred Surnames), it was listed as the 299th most prominent clan. The Fu clan originated in the central and western parts of present-day Shandong and mainly settled and multiplied in Shandong and Henan regions. During the Han and Tang dynasties, the Fu clan became a prominent family in Qi County. After the Song dynasty, due to wars and official careers, they gradually spread to areas such as Zhejiang, Jiangsu, and other parts of the Jiangnan region, as well as Shaanxi and Liaoning. The Manchu branch of the Fu clan is the largest branch of the Fu clan today. The Manchu Fu clan in Liaodong is descended from the same ancient Manchu surname, Fuca. The difference between “Fu” and “Fu” lies in the Chinese characters used to represent them. The Manchu Fuca clan adopted the first syllable of their multi-syllable surname (“Fu” or “Fu”) and paired it with Chinese characters during the late Qing dynasty, following Han cultural customs. Earlier, the ancestors of the Fu clan lived in the areas around the Ashi and Womin rivers in present-day Yitong County, Jilin Province. The Baqi Manchu Shizú Tongpu records that “Fuca” originally referred to a place name and was later used as a surname. The Fuca clan was very populous and spread across Shaji, Yehe, the Changbai Mountains, and other regions. The ancestor of the Fuca clan was Wangjinnu, a member of the Manchu Yellow Banner who led his people to surrender to the