The Pang Family#

Surname: Pang, pronounced as “páng”

Regions where the Pang family is prevalent#

The prominent members of the Pang family reside in Qiaojun (present-day Maoxian County, Anhui Province) and Beihai (present-day Changdong County, Shandong Province). Qiaojun was established during the Eastern Han Dynasty and is located in the area between Anhui and Henan provinces. Beihaijun was established in the second year of the Zhongyuan era of Emperor Jing of Han (148 BCE) and corresponds to the territory of present-day Shandong Province.

Origin of the Pang surname#

There are three theories regarding the origin of the Pang surname:

1. The Pang surname stems from the Jiang family, descendants of the ancient Yan Emperor, who adopted the name of their state as their surname. One of Yan Emperor’s sons, named Ling, was granted a fief in Pang during the early Shang Dynasty (the exact location is unknown), where he established the state of Pang. He is also known as Pang Boling. When King Wu of the Western Zhou Dynasty conquered Pang, the territory was renamed Qi, and Jiang Taigong was enfeoffed there. The descendants of Pang Boling adopted the former name of their state as their surname.

2. Another theory traces the origin to the Xia Dynasty, to Pang Meng, a famous archer. According to the scholar Yan Shigu of the Tang Dynasty, the Pang surname shares the same origin as that of Pang Meng.

3. A third theory dates back to the Spring and Autumn Period, when a military officer named Pang Choufu served in the state of Qi. His descendants also adopted the Pang surname.

Ancestor of the Pang family

The ancestor of the Pang family is Pang Boling. The Pang surname originated from the Jiang family around 6,000 years ago, when Pang Boling, a son of the Yan Emperor, adopted the name of his state as his surname. According to the “Wanxing Tongpu,” Yan Emperor had a son named Ling who was granted a fief in Pang during the early Shang Dynasty and established the state of Pang, becoming the Marquis of Pang. Later, when King Wu of Zhou conquered Pang, the descendants of Pang adopted the name of their former state as their surname.

Migration and distribution

The Pang surname does not rank among the top 100 most common surnames on the Chinese mainland or in Taiwan.

Family mottos

• “Hang guan bi shi; Yi wei quan jun.” (“Forgive the world and serve the lord wholeheartedly.”** This motto refers to Pang Meng of the Eastern Han Dynasty, who, despite his poverty, left his hometown to avoid the chaos of war. When his son Pang Yu was killed by Wang Mang, he said, “The three cardinal bonds (lord and subject, father and son, husband and wife) have been utterly broken; staying here will bring disaster.” He then hung his hat on the city gates of the eastern capital and traveled to Liaodong with his family by sea. After Emperor Guangwu ascended the throne, he went to Laoshan to pursue a life of meditation. Despite multiple invitations from the court, he refused to serve.
• “Hang guan qu li; Kang jie cheng ren.” (“Leave the chaos and uphold integrity.”** This motto refers to Pang Choufu of the Spring and Autumn Period, who exchanged positions with the duke of Qi during a battle, saving the duke’s life.

Common couplets for Pang family ancestral halls

• For the four-character couplets in Pang family ancestral halls:
  • “Hang guan bi shi; Yi wei quan jun.” (Forge a bond with the lord and leave the world of chaos.)
  • “Hang guan qu li; Kang jie cheng ren.” (Leave the chaos and uphold integrity.)

The Pang surname is a very ancient one with a wide distribution in Shandong, particularly in areas such as Qingdao, Weifang, and Yantai. For example, Pang Xianzhi, the director of the Central Party History Research Office, is from Jiaozhou, Qingdao. The situation in other provinces is not well-known, and I would appreciate any information you can provide. I also have the Pang surname and am from Jimo, Qingdao; I hope to make friends with people with the Pang surname from all over the world, as we share the same roots.