The Wu Clan#

Surname: Wu, pronounced as “wú”

Distribution of the Wu Clan#

• Julu County: Located in the southwest of present-day Pingxiang, Hebei Province. This county was established during the Qin Dynasty and served as the administrative center of Julu County. Xiang Yu defeated the Qin army here.
• Hedong County: Established by the Qin Dynasty, Hedong County governed the southwestern region of Shanxi Province. During the Eastern Jin Dynasty, its administrative seat was moved to Puban (present-day Puzhou Town, Yongji, Shanxi Province, after Liu Yu overthrew the Later Qin). In the Sui and Tang dynasties, it was known as Puzhou Hedong County. The Sui Dynasty also created Hedong County, with Puban as its administrative center. During the Ming Dynasty, Hedong County was merged into Puzhou.

Origin of the Wu Clan#

There are two theories regarding the origin of the “Wu” surname:

1. Ancient Origins: The Wu surname originates from Wu Ju, a minister of Emperor Yao. When Yao was the tribal leader, one of his subordinates, named Wu Ju, invented the qing, a musical instrument made of bone fragments that produced beautiful sounds when struck. Wu Ju’s descendants adopted a character from his name as their surname, thus establishing the Wu clan. Wu Ju is considered the progenitor of the Wu clan.
2. Transformation from the Tian Clan: During the Spring and Autumn period, King Xuan of Qi, named Tian Pijiang, enfeoffed his younger brother in Wuqiu and granted him the surname Huwu. The descendants of Huwu further split into three branches: Huwu, Wuqiu, and Wu. Over time, the names Huwu and Wuqiu were simplified to the single surname Wu.

Progenitor of the Wu Clan: Wu Ju.

The Wu surname has always been rare, but it has been particularly prominent in the Peng’an area of Sichuan. According to scholars and historical records, the Wu clan traces its ancestry back to Wu Ju, a minister of Emperor Yao who invented the qing, dating back more than 4,000 years. Another theory suggests that the Wu surname originated from the Tian clan; King Xuan of Qi granted his brother the surname Huwu to continue the worship of the Hu clan, which later split into three branches: Huwu, Wuqiu, and Wu.

Migration and Distribution: The Wu clan is not among the top 100 most common surnames on the Chinese mainland or in Taiwan. The Wu surname is derived from the Tian clan. According to legend, during the time of Emperor Yao, a capable minister named Wu Ju created the qing. His descendants adopted a character from his name as their surname. During the Spring and Autumn period, King Xuan of Qi enfeoffed his brother in Wuqiu and granted him the surname Huwu, which later split into three branches: Huwu, Wuqiu, and Wu. Descendants of these three branches all simplified their surnames to Wu. Prominent families of the Wu clan have lived in Hedong County (north of present-day Xia County, Shaanxi Province) and Julu County (southwest of present-day Pingxiang, Hebei Province).

Common Couplets for Wu Clan Ancestral Halls

Four-character Couplets for Wu Clan Ancestral Halls:

• Poetry and Officialdom: “Skilled in poetry, renowned as an official.” This couplet refers to Wu Siyi from Puzhou during the early Ming Dynasty, who was a talented poet and scholar, serving as a professor in Xiangyang and Fengyang, and as the chief historian of the Zhou family.
• Erudition and Educational Foundations: “Erudite and pioneering in education.” This couplet refers to Wu Zhiji from the Later Shu dynasty, who was a scholar, statesman, and bibliophile, and funded the construction of educational institutions in Chengdu.

Six-character Couplets for Wu Clan Ancestral Halls:

• Guardian of Nightlang in the Jin Dynasty: This couplet refers to Wu Ya from the Jin dynasty, who served as the governor of Nightlang.
• Scholar of Yingzhou: This couplet refers to Wu Jiong from the Tang dynasty, who compiled the “Ancient and Modern Poetry Collection” and was one of the eighteen scholars of the Kaiyuan era.