The Yuan Clan#

Clan Name: Yuan, pronounced as “yuán”

Distribution of the Yuan Clan**#

• Ruan County, Henan Province
• Chen County, Henan Province
• Pengcheng County, Jiangsu Province

Origin of the Yuan Clan#

The origin of the Yuan clan can be traced back to the following sources:

1. The Yuan clan mainly descended from the Yao clan, which was a descendant of the ancient emperor Shun. It is said that Shun, one of the Five Emperors of ancient China, was a descendant of Zhuanxu and received the surname Yao because he was born in Yaoxu (located northeast of Heze, Shandong Province today).
2. The clan also has its roots in the Xuanyuan Yellow Emperor, who ruled with virtue and established the Xuanyuan dynasty. His residence was named Xuanyuanqiu. The Xuanyuan clan used chariots and tents for military purposes, which led to the term “Xingyuan” (military camp). Initially, the Xuanyuan clan lived in the area of Xiongxiu (around Zhengzhou or Kaifeng), and a town named Yuanyi was established there. After Xuanyuan overthrew the Yan Emperor and became the new emperor, his descendants adopted the surname Yuan. Some of them later migrated to Hebei, giving rise to the Yuan clan in that region.
3. The clan also has members from ethnic minorities.

Migration and Distribution#

The Yuan clan first originated in the Huaiyang area of Henan Province. During the Western Han Dynasty, their descendants held prominent positions as officials and became a respected family in the area. Yangxia was the ancestral home of the Yuan clan; during the Jin Dynasty, this area belonged to Chenliu, which is why the Yuan clan is particularly associated with Chenliu. Later, members of the Yuan clan migrated to various places and used “Chenliu” as their clan name. During the Eastern Han Dynasty, they settled in Ruan County, where they became another prominent family. From the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties to the Sui and Tang Dynasties, the Yuan clan in Ruan County spread and became a powerful force, with branches emerging in Pengcheng, Jingzhao, Dongguang, Taiyuan, Huayin, Xiangyang, Puyang, Yichun, and other places. The migration of the Yuan clan to the south began before the Tang Dynasty, and by the Song Dynasty, they had become a significant clan in the south, with large populations in Zhejiang, Jiangsu, and Jiangxi. The Yuan clan also entered Fujian before the Song Dynasty and later spread to Guangdong and other regions. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the Yuan clan was widely distributed throughout China, with significant populations in Guangxi and Yunnan. In the north, Henan and Hebei were major hubs of the clan; in the south, they were prevalent in Sichuan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, and Fujian. Overall, the number of Yuan clan members in the south exceeded that in the north.

In Taiwan, the Yuan clan ranks 94th among the top 100 surnames. Most of the Yuan clan members in Taiwan migrated from mainland China during the Qing Dynasty and around 1949, mainly settling in Taipei, Hsinchu, Nantou, Chiayi, and Tainan. Abroad, the Yuan clan is found in Southeast Asian countries and some European and American countries. Descendants of Yuan Shikai can be found in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Japan, Canada, Singapore, and Malaysia.

Famous People with the Surname Yuan**#

• Yuan Tiangang: From Chengdu, Yizhou (present-day Chengdu, Sichuan Province) during the early Tang Dynasty. He was skilled in fortune-telling and served as an official in the Sui Dynasty, later as the governor of a salt-producing region. He wrote several books, including Liu Ren Ke, Wu Xing Xiang Shu, Tui Bei Tu, and Yuan Tiangang Cheng Gu Ge.
• Yuan Shao: Also known as Benchu, from Ruyang, Ruan County (present-day Gaoshui, Henan Province). He served as a court official under Emperor Ling and later led an army against the eunuchs. After Emperor Ling’s death, he recommended Dong Zhuo to be brought to the capital to eliminate the eunuchs. When Dong Zhuo was killed by the eunuchs, Yuan Shao entered the palace and killed all the eunuchs. Later, he fought against Dong Zhuo and became the leader of an alliance, establishing himself as the emperor. His descendants adopted the surname Yuan. Yuan Shao’s descendants migrated to Hebei, giving rise to the Yuan clan there.
• Yuan Mei: Also known as Zicai and styled Jianzhai or Suiyuan Laoren, from Qiantang (present-day Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province). A writer of the Qing Dynasty, he was a successful candidate in the imperial examinations and served as the governor of several districts. His poetry and prose were innovative, and he was one of the “Three Great Literary Masters of Jiangyou.”
• Yuan Shikai: A controversial figure in modern Chinese history, known for his role in the Wuxu Coup, signing the Twenty-One Demands with Japan, and declaring himself emperor. As the leader of the Beiyang warlords, he became the first president of the Republic of China. He promoted industrial development, unified the currency system, and defended China’s sovereignty over Mongolia and Tibet. He established a modern army and educational systems but died of uremia in 1916.
• Yuan Longping: Born on September 1, 1930, in Beiping (present-day Beijing), he was an expert in hybrid rice breeding and an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering. He is considered the “Father of Hybrid Rice” and received the Mahatir Science Award in 2011.