The Jing Clan#

Clan Name: Jing, pronounced as “jīng”

Distribution of the Jing Clan#

Guangling Commandery: Also known as Jiangdu Commandery. It was originally the Guangling territory of the Chu state during the Warring States period. During the Qin dynasty, it was established as Guangling County, located in the northwest of present-day Yangzhou, Jiangsu. In the third year of the Yuanshou era of the Western Han dynasty (120 BCE), Jiangdu State was reorganized into Guangling State. During the mid-Jianwu era of the Eastern Han dynasty, it was transformed back into a commandery, with its administrative center in Guangling (present-day Yangzhou, Jiangsu). At that time, its jurisdiction included areas such as Yangzhou, Yizheng, Gaoyou, Baoying, and Jinhu in Jiangsu Province. In the Tang dynasty, the administrative center was moved to Jiangdu (present-day Jiangdu, Jiangsu). The jurisdiction then extended to the vast region east of Hongze Lake and Liuhé County, south of Siyang and Baoying counties, west of the Chuanchang River, and north of the Yangtze River, encompassing parts of both Jiangsu and Anhui provinces. During the Sui dynasty, it was renamed Jiangyang, with the administrative center still in Yangzhou. In the Southern Tang dynasty, it was reverted to its original name of Guangling. In the fifth year of the Xining era of the Northern Song dynasty (1072 CE), Guangling was merged into Jiangdu.

Origins of the Jing Clan#

The Jing clan originates from the following sources:

1. It may have stemmed from the Mi surname, originating from the fief of Xiong Yi, a progenitor of the Chu state in the early Western Zhou period, and thus taking the name of the state as its clan name.
2. It could also have originated from the Mi surname, with members of the Chu family living in the Qin state changing their surname to avoid the taboo associated with King Zhuangxiang of Qin (whose name included the character “Chu”).
3. Another possibility is that it originated from the Jiang surname, with members of the Qi state changing their surname for various reasons during the late Warring States period.

Progenitor of the Clan: Xiong Yi. According to the “Tongzhi · Shizú Lüè · Yǐ Guó Wéi Shì,” the ancient name of the Chu state was Jing, and the Jing clan name predates the state's renaming to Chu. It is also said that during the Zhou dynasty, Chu was alternatively referred to as Jing, and its people adopted the name of the state as their clan name. In the early Western Zhou period, Xiong Yi was granted the fief of Jing, and the Jing clan name was established accordingly. The name “Jingling” was another alternative name for the Chu state; before it rose to prominence among the various states during the Spring and Autumn period, it was often referred to as Jing. Therefore, Xiong Yi is regarded as the progenitor of the Jing clan.

Migration and Distribution

The Jing clan is an ancient one with multiple origins. It ranks 287th on the list of common Chinese surnames, with a population of approximately 283,000, accounting for about 0.017% of the national population. Currently, the Jing clan has around 230,000 members, ranking 26th among the most common surnames. Over the past 1,000 years since the Song dynasty, the population of the Jing clan has shown a V-shaped growth trend. The clan is mainly concentrated in Inner Mongolia, Shanxi, Henan, and Heilongjiang, which together account for about 64% of the total Jing clan population. Other significant populations are found in Hebei, Jilin, Shandong, Shaanxi, Liaoning, and Jiangsu. The frequency of the Jing surname varies across regions: in Heilongjiang, Inner Mongolia, northeastern Jilin, most of Jilin, southwestern Hebei, southern and southeastern Shanxi, western Henan, northwestern Hubei, and northern Chongqing, the Jing surname accounts for more than 0.1% of the local population, with some areas having proportions as high as over 1.7%. These regions cover approximately 13.2% of the total national territory and are home to about 47% of the Jing clan population.

In central Inner Mongolia, most of Ningxia, southeastern Gansu, northern and southwestern Shaanxi, most of Shanxi and Shandong, northern and eastern Henan, northern Anhui, central Hubei, and central Hubei-Yukon, the Jing surname accounts for between 0.05% and 0.1% of the local population, covering about 17.4% of the national territory and housing about 36% of the Jing clan.

Notable individuals with the Jing surname include:

• Jing Ke: A famous assassin during the Warring States period in China.
• Jing Hao: A painter from the Later Liang dynasty of the Five Dynasties period, from Qingshui (now part of Shanxi Province). He was skilled in landscape painting and often carried brushes and ink to sketch ancient pines in the mountains. His work had a significant impact on the development of Chinese landscape painting.
• Jing Si: A renowned general during the Song dynasty, who achieved numerous military successes. He served under Emperor Taizong in the campaigns against Taiyuan and Youzhou and was promoted to the rank of commander. During Emperor Zhenzong's reign, he played a key role in several battles and never suffered a defeat.

Other Clan Halls (Tanghao): Common clan halls of the Jing clan include Guangling Hall and Jiangdu Hall. Other notable halls include Shouzhi Hall, Linbao Hall, Duking Hall, Baqing Hall, Liuyu Hall, Chuiyu Hall,