The Lu Clan#

Surname: Lu, pronounced as “lǔ”

Regions where the Lu Clan is found**#

• Xifu Feng Commandery, Xin Cai Commandery in Henan Province.

Origins of the Lu Clan**#

The Lu surname has two origins:

1. It originates from the Ji clan, descending from Ji Dan, the brother of King Wu of Zhou. The surname was taken from the name of the state.
2. It also resulted from members of other ethnic groups adopting the Lu surname.

In ancient times, the state of Lu had vast territories, including present-day Zixian in Shandong Province, as well as Peixian in Jiangsu Province and Sixian in Anhui Province. In 256 BC, Lu was conquered by the state of Chu, and its people were forced to relocate to Xiayi (east of present-day Dangshan County, Anhui Province). Later, this area was occupied by the state of Qi, and the Lu surname began to spread slowly in Shandong. Today, most members of the Lu clan are found in Zhuanggang Town, Lingang District, Linyi City, Shandong Province.

Founder of the Lu Clan

Ji Dan, also known as the Duke of Zhou or Duke of Zhou Dan, was one of the three great ministers of King Wu of Zhou. He played a key role in the conquest of the Shang Dynasty and the overthrow of King Zhou of Shang. After King Wu of Zhou granted fiefs to his ministers, Ji Dan was granted the state of Lu, which was one of the most prosperous regions at the time. However, since Ji Dan needed to remain in the capital to assist in governance, he sent his son, Bo Qin, to rule Lu. The Lu lineage continued for 34 generations until 256 BC, when the state of Lu was conquered by Chu. The descendants then adopted the state name as their surname. Ji Dan is revered as the founder of the Lu clan.

Migration and Spread

The ancient state of Lu had extensive territories that included present-day Zixian in Shandong, Peixian in Jiangsu, and Sixian in Anhui. After its conquest by Chu, the Lu people migrated to Xiayi. During the Qin and Han dynasties, the Lu clan began to move towards the political and cultural center of the time, Guanzhong. After the mid-Eastern Han Dynasty, they spread to the Xin Cai area in Henan, where they became a prominent clan. At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Lu Su from Dongcheng County of Linhuai Commandery (present-day Dingyuan, Anhui Province) fled the chaos of war and settled in Jiankang (present-day Nanjing, Jiangsu Province). His sons and grandchildren served as generals in the state of Wu. During the Western Jin Dynasty, notable scholars such as Lu Sheng and Lu Bao emerged. Due to the Yongjia Rebellion, many noble families from the Central Plains migrated south. By the Sui and Tang dynasties, the Lu clan had spread throughout the Jiangdong region. In the early Tang Dynasty, the Lu clan continued to thrive and expanded in Shandong, Shanxi, Hebei, Henan, and Shaanxi. During the Song and Yuan dynasties, some members moved south to Fujian and Guangdong to escape wars. In the early Ming Dynasty, the Lu clan was relocated to various places in China as part of the Ming government’s migration policies. By the mid-Qing Dynasty, the Lu clan in Shandong had grown significantly and began to migrate to the Northeast. Some members also traveled to Taiwan and even overseas.

Hall Names of the Lu Clan

The main hall names of the Lu clan include “Qin Shu Tang,” “Fu Feng Tang,” “Dun Hou Tang,” “Wu Jing Tang,” and “Xiao Si Tang,” which are associated with notable figures from the clan’s history.

Notable People with the Lu Surname

• Lu Ban: A renowned architect from the Spring and Autumn period, originally surnamed Gongsu and named Ban, later known as Lu Ban.
• Lu Su: A famous general from the Three Kingdoms period who advised Liu Bei to join forces against Cao Cao and assisted Zhou Yu in defeating Cao Cao’s army. He was highly regarded by Sun Quan and held various military positions.
• Lu Xun: A modern Chinese novelist from Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province. His works reflect the social conditions of China in the 1930s and combine elements of Chinese and foreign literary styles to criticize societal issues and human weaknesses. His works include “A Madman’s Diary” and “The True Story of Ah Q.”

The Lu clan is one of the most common surnames in China, ranking 119th in prevalence, with a population accounting for approximately 0.12% of the total Han Chinese population.