The Cheng Clan#

Surname: Cheng, pronounced as “chéng”

Regions Where the Cheng Clan Is Found#

• Guangping Commandery: Established in the first year of the Zhongyuan era during the reign of Emperor Jing of Han (149 BCE) by separating from the Handan Commandery, with its administrative center in Guangping (now southeast of Jize, Hebei Province). This region corresponds to parts of present-day Ren County, Jize, Quzhou, Yongnian in Hebei Province, as well as parts of Feixiang to the northwest of Pingxiang.
• Henan Commandery: Established in the second year of the reign of Emperor Gao of Han (205 BCE) from the former Qin’s Sanchuan Commandery, with its administrative center in Yang (now northeast of Luoyang, Henan Province).
• Anding Commandery: Established in the third year of the Yuanding era during the Western Han Dynasty (114 BCE), with its administrative center in Gaoping (now in Guyuan, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region).

Origins of the Cheng Clan#

1. Deriving from the name of a state: According to the “Tongzhi · Shizhu Lue · Yiguo Weishi,” the Cheng clan originated from the descendants of Chongli (the official in charge of fire). During the reign of King Xuan of Zhou, a man named Xiufu was appointed as Grand Marshal and granted the fief of Cheng. Chengju, located in the vicinity of present-day Luoyang, Henan Province, became the ancestral home of the Cheng clan. Xiufu was also known as Cheng Boxiu, and his descendants adopted the name of their fief as their surname.
2. Deriving from the name of a city: As mentioned in the “Zuo Zhuan · Du Yu’s commentary,” during the Spring and Autumn period, a member of the Xun family from the state of Jin was granted the territory of Cheng. His descendants took the name of this city as their surname.

Hall Names (Tanghao):

• Mingdao Hall: Named after Cheng Yi and Cheng Hao, both great scholars who were students of Zhou Dunyi. Cheng Yi was known as “Master Yichuan,” and Cheng Hao was considered “the successor to Mencius.” The name “Mingdao Hall” reflects their emphasis on upholding the teachings of Confucius and Mencius.
• Yichuan Hall: Also named after Cheng Yi.
• Lixue Hall: This name comes from an incident where disciples stood in the snow outside Cheng Yi’s house during a lecture, waiting despite the deep snow (a proverbial story known as “Chengmen Lixue” or “Standing in the Snow by Cheng’s Door”).
• Shizhong Hall: During the Jiading era of the Southern Song Dynasty, an official named Cheng?? returned to his hometown and initiated the construction of a temple dedicated to Cheng Lingxi, a distinguished ancestor of the Cheng clan. The hall was named “Shizhong Hall” to honor his loyalty and contributions to the community.

Migration and Spread:

The Cheng clan had already settled in areas such as Jize, Hebei; Luoyang, Henan; and Xianyang, Shaanxi by the Spring and Autumn period. At the end of this era, a notable figure from the state of Jin named Cheng Ben moved to the states of Qi and Lu. During the Qin and Han dynasties, members of the Cheng clan migrated to various places, including Qionglai in Shu Commandery (now in Sichuan Province), as well as Wucheng in Zhejiang and Nanchang in Jiangxi. By the Three Kingdoms period, the Cheng clan had spread across regions south of the Great Wall. During the Eastern Han Dynasty, Cheng Pu (from Fengrun, Hebei Province) settled in Jiankang (now Nanjing, Jiangsu Province). Descendants of Cheng Yuanzhang from Luoyang settled in Huangdun, Anhui Province. In the late Eastern Han Dynasty, a member from Nandun, Runan (now Xiangcheng, Henan Province), moved to Jiaozhou (now Guangzhou). During the Western Jin Dynasty, some Cheng clan members held official positions in areas such as Wuwei and Zhangye in Gansu. In the Northern Wei Dynasty, more than 2,000 households from the Cheng clan in Luoyang were relocated to Dongshengzhou (now in Inner Mongolia). During the Five Dynasties, the Cheng clan from Xin'an (Anhui) returned to Boye, Zhongshan (now Lixian, Hebei Province), with some branches settling in Liquan, Shaanxi. By the Northern Song Dynasty, the Cheng clan had become well-established in regions such as Anhui, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, and Fujian. Their presence extended as far as the Lingnan region in the south, the Mongolian grasslands north of the Great Wall, the Hexi Corridor in the west, and the eastern coastal areas.

Over time, the Cheng clan’s distribution became even more widespread, with members settling in various parts of China. The establishment of the capital in Kaifeng during the Northern Song Dynasty and the revival of the Cheng clan in the Henan region contributed to its growth. When the Jin invaders advanced south, the descendants of the Cheng clan from Luoyang followed the Song dynasty’s retreat. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, the Cheng clan was prevalent throughout China, with significant populations in provinces such as Henan, Anhui, Sichuan, and Jiangsu. Today, the Cheng clan accounts for about 60% of all Cheng individuals in China, with the largest concentration in Henan. There are 98 different branches of the Cheng clan, and Henan alone has 18 of them. With a population of approximately 0.59% of China’s Han population, the Cheng clan ranks 31st among the most common surnames in China.