The Wei Clan#

Clan Name: Wei, pronounced as “kuí”

Distribution of the Wei Clan#

• Yuhang Commandery: Originally part of the Kuaiji Commandery during the Qin Dynasty, it was established as the Yuhang Commandery during the Sui Dynasty. It is located in the Hangshan area of present-day Zhejiang Province.
• Xihe Commandery: Established by the State of Wei during the Warring States period and continued during the Han Dynasty. It corresponds to the area along the Yellow River between present-day Shaanxi and Shanxi provinces.

Origins of the Wei Clan#

1. Origin from the Yan Emperor’s Clan: The Wei clan originates from the Kuaiwei clan, one of the oldest clans of the Huaxia people. According to the “Imperial Century” from the Jin Dynasty, the Kuaiwei clan was the second Yan Emperor after the Shennong clan. Descendants of the Kuaiwei clan established their capital at the Juci Mountain, also known as Dawei Mountain, which is located in the Dawei Town of Xinmi City, Henan Province. The Wei clan is said to have its origins in the Xihe Commandery. Descendants of the Kuaiwei clan respect Dawei as the founder of the clan name.
2. Descendants of Xia Dynasty Emperors: Descendants of the Xia Dynasty emperors adopted the name of their kingdom as their clan name. After King Tang overthrew King Jie of Xia and established the Shang Dynasty, he granted descendants of the Xia royal family the title of ruler in the Wei region and allowed them to create the Siwei State (located in the southeast of present-day Zigui, Hubei Province). The Wei State lasted until the Spring and Autumn period and was conquered by the Chu state in 634 BCE. Their descendants adopted the name of their former kingdom as their clan name.
3. Origin from the Chi Di people: The Chi Di were a minority ethnic group in northern Central China, and many of them bore the Wei clan name. According to the “Zuo Zhuan,” during the Spring and Autumn period, the Chi Di captured two daughters of the Chi Jiu Ru clan; these daughters were named Shu Kuai and Ji Kuai. The Chi Di people, who were nomadic in northern Central China during that time, adopted the Wei clan name. After the fall of the Chi State, many of the Chi Di people became subjects of the Jin state and gradually integrated with the Huaxia people.

Hall Names

• Jiangshi Hall: During the Three Kingdoms period, there was a man named Wei Xiang who was extremely filial to his mother. His mother refused to drink water from the riverbank, claiming it was dirty and insisted on only drinking water from the middle of the river. Wei Xiang would row a small boat to the middle of the river to fetch water, but the current was too strong, making it difficult. One day, a large rock emerged in the middle of the river, and Wei Xiang’s boat could rest against it, solving the problem. People said that Wei Xiang’s filial piety moved the heavens, which is why the hall was named “Jiangshi Hall.”

Migration and Distribution

The majority of the prominent Wei clans originated from the Xihe Commandery. The ancient Wei State was located in the present-day Zigui, Hubei Province, and was conquered by the Chu state in 634 BCE. In ancient times, the Wei clan was a common name among the northern Chi Di people. During the Eastern Han Dynasty, the most famous member of the Wei clan was Wei Xiao, a native of Tianshui. During the reign of Wang Mang, he was supported by local powerful figures and ruled areas including present-day Tianshui and Wudu in Gansu Province. Wei Xiao later defected to the Han court but later declared himself the General of the Western Regions and waged war against it, being defeated multiple times. The soldiers he recruited were all from the Wei clan; those from other clans were not accepted. After two years of training, his army became very strong. However, a corrupt official named Yan Song accused Wei Xiao of plotting against the court, leading to his dismissal and demotion. A decree was issued prohibiting the Wei clan from holding high positions.

A Little-Known Village in Beijing

In the Fangshan District of Beijing, there is a small, little-known village called Lüzishui Village, where over 80% of the residents bear the Wei clan name. The history of the Wei clan is rich and complex. During the late Yuan and early Ming dynasties, many people from the former Yuan capital (present-day Beijing) migrated after the fall of the Yuan dynasty, resulting in a significant population decrease in the area. After the establishment of the Ming Dynasty, several large-scale migrations occurred, with one migration from Shanxi to Beijing in the third year of the Yongle reign. The immigrants from Shanxi were gathered under a large locust tree in Hongtong County and then relocated to designated locations. The Wei clan members settled in Lüzishui Village, where they engaged in agriculture and animal husbandry. Over time, their population grew, and they spread throughout China, with members of the Wei clan appearing in various provinces and regions such as Hebei, Henan, Shandong, Shaanxi, Northeast China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Hunan, Hubei, and Zhejiang. In Lüzishui Village, the culture of the Wei clan has been passed down for centuries.