The Tang Clan#

Surname: Tang, pronounced as “tāng”

Distribution of the Tang Clan#

Zhongshan Commandery: During the Warring States period, it was the state of Zhongshan, with its capital at Gu (present-day Ding County, Hebei). It was once conquered by the state of Wei and later moved to Lingshou (north-east of present-day Ping County) after its restoration. In 296 BC, it was conquered by the state of Zhao. Emperor Gao of Han established the commandery, and Emperor Jing later changed it back to a state, with its capital at Lunu (present-day Ding County). Later, it became the capital of the Later Yan dynasty. The commandery was abolished during the Sui dynasty. During the Song dynasty, Dingzhou was made the Zhongshan Prefecture, with its administrative center at Anxi (present-day Ding County).

Fanyang Commandery: Established in the seventh year of Huangchu during the Three Kingdoms period (226 AD) as part of the state of Wei, with its capital at Zhuoxian (present-day Zhuozhou, Hebei). In the first year of the Tianbao era of the Tang dynasty, it was reorganized and its capital was moved to Jixian (southeast of present-day Beijing). It was also known as a military region; originally under the jurisdiction of the Youzhou military governor, it was renamed Fanyang in the first year of the Tianbao era. In the first year of the Baoying era (762 AD), the Youzhou military governorship was merged with the Lulong military governorship. Fanyang County itself was originally part of Youzhou (former Zhuoxian, renamed during the Tang dynasty). In the fourth year of the Dali era (769 AD), it was separated from Youzhou and Zhuozhou, with Fanyang County as its administrative center.

Origins of the Tang Clan#

The Tang clan has a population of 2 million and ranks 100th among Chinese surnames, accounting for approximately 0.16% of the national population.

Origin of the Surname “Tang”:

1. The Tang clan traces its ancestry back to the Zi surname, with its founder being Cheng Tang, who was posthumously granted the title “Tang.” Cheng Tang was a descendant of the 14th generation of Emperor Ku and surnamed Zi, with the given name Lü, also known as Tianyi. After overthrowing the Xia dynasty and establishing the Shang dynasty, he made Hao his capital. After his death, he was posthumously honored with the title “Tang.” One branch of his descendants adopted this title as their surname.
2. Some members of the Tang clan descended from the ruler of the state of Song during the late Shang dynasty, who changed their surname to avoid disaster. According to the “Records of the Grand Historian: Yin Annals,” in the 11th century BC, after Zhou Ping suppressed the rebellion led by Wu Geng, he granted the surrounding areas of the former Shang capital to Weizi Qi, the half-brother of King Zhou of Shang, and established the state of Song. When Yan became the ruler of Song, he declared himself king. Yan’s brother was named Chang, who had a son named Long, who changed his surname to Zi. Later, due to Emperor Qin Shi Huang’s campaign of burning books and persecuting scholars, they changed their surname to Tang to avoid persecution.
3. Some members of the Tang clan changed their surname, and others came from ethnic minorities. According to the “Comprehensive Genealogy of All Surnames,” during the Spring and Autumn period, there was a surname called Dang in the state of Song, which was later shortened to Tang. During the Song dynasty, there was a person named Tang Yue, whose original surname was Yin; he changed it to Tang to avoid the taboo associated with the emperor’s name during the Jianlong era. Ethnic groups such as the Manchu, Dong, Mongol, and Tu also have the Tang surname.

Population of the Tang Clan: The Tang clan has a population of 2 million, ranking 100th among Chinese surnames, accounting for approximately 0.16% of the national population.

Notable Tang Figures#

• Tang Xianzu: (1550–1617), a Ming dynasty playwright and literary figure. His works include the plays “Zi Cha Ji,” “Huan Hun Ji,” “Nan Ke Ji,” and “Han Dan Ji,” collectively known as the “Four Dreams of Lin Chuan,” or “Yu Ming Tang Si Meng.” His most famous work is “Huan Hun Ji” (also known as “The Peony Pavilion”). He also wrote the collection of poems and essays “Yu Ming Tang Ji.”

Tang Clan’s Historical Spread#

• During the Pre-Qin period, the Tang clan was mainly active in the Central Plains.
• In the Han dynasty, they moved eastward to Jiangsu and northward to northern Vietnam.
• During the Tang dynasty, they migrated southward to Anhui, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Hunan, Sichuan, and Fujian.
• In the Ming dynasty, they further moved to Guangdong and Guangxi.
• In the early Qing dynasty, they entered Taiwan.
• During the Song dynasty, the Tang clan had approximately 120,000 members, ranking 98th among Chinese surnames, with Jiangxi accounting for about 36.7% of the total Tang population in China. The main distribution areas were Jiangxi, Jiangsu, Anhui, Zhejiang, Hunan, Sichuan, and Fujian.
• In the Ming dynasty, the Tang clan had approximately 190,000 members, ranking 91st among Chinese surnames, with Jiangxi accounting for 24% of the total Tang population. The main distribution areas remained the same as before.
• Over the past 600 years (from the Ming dynasty to the present), the Tang clan’s population has increased from 19