Qian (surname)
Encyclopedia
Money
Money is any object or record that is generally accepted as payment for goods and services and repayment of debts in a given country or socio-economic context. The main functions of money are distinguished as: a medium of exchange; a unit of account; a store of value; and, occasionally in the past,...
". Today, it is ranked 92nd in terms of population in mainland China
Mainland China
Mainland China, the Chinese mainland or simply the mainland, is a geopolitical term that refers to the area under the jurisdiction of the People's Republic of China . According to the Taipei-based Mainland Affairs Council, the term excludes the PRC Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and...
. Despite the rarity of this last name among the Chinese population today, there has been a number of notable Qians in Chinese history. As a result, Qian was listed at the second place in the Hundred Family Surnames
Hundred Family Surnames
The Hundred Family Surnames is a classic Chinese text composed of common surnames in ancient China. The book was composed in the early Song Dynasty. It originally contained 411 surnames, but was later expanded to 504. Of these, 444 are single-character surnames, and 60 are double-character surnames...
. At the time that that list was compiled in the Song Dynasty
Song Dynasty
The Song Dynasty was a ruling dynasty in China between 960 and 1279; it succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period, and was followed by the Yuan Dynasty. It was the first government in world history to issue banknotes or paper money, and the first Chinese government to establish a...
, the Qians were the royal family in the kingdom of Wuyue
Wuyue
Kingdom of Wuyue , 907-978, was a small independent coastal kingdom founded during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms of Chinese history. It was ruled by the Qian family, which remains widespread in the kingdom's former territory.-Founding:...
, and was regarded as second only to the Song Imperial Family.
Origins
According to the Song DynastySong Dynasty
The Song Dynasty was a ruling dynasty in China between 960 and 1279; it succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period, and was followed by the Yuan Dynasty. It was the first government in world history to issue banknotes or paper money, and the first Chinese government to establish a...
history book, the Tongzhi
Tongzhi
Tongzhi is a term which literally means "same will" or "same purpose" in Chinese. Idiomatically, it means "comrade". It has taken on various meanings in various contexts since the 20th century, and now its use among the younger generation is slang for members of the LGBT community. The term was...
, the Qian surname descends from Zhuanxu
Zhuanxu
Zhuanxu , also known as Gaoyang is a mythological monarch of ancient China.A grandson of the Yellow Emperor, Zhuanxu led the Shi clan in an eastward migration to present-day Shandong, where intermarriages with the Dongyi clan enlarged and augmented their tribal influences...
, one of the legendary Five Emperors, via Pengzu, the founder of the Peng kingdom in modern-day Jiangsu
Jiangsu
' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located along the east coast of the country. The name comes from jiang, short for the city of Jiangning , and su, for the city of Suzhou. The abbreviation for this province is "苏" , the second character of its name...
during the Shang dynasty
Shang Dynasty
The Shang Dynasty or Yin Dynasty was, according to traditional sources, the second Chinese dynasty, after the Xia. They ruled in the northeastern regions of the area known as "China proper" in the Yellow River valley...
. A Zhou dynasty
Zhou Dynasty
The Zhou Dynasty was a Chinese dynasty that followed the Shang Dynasty and preceded the Qin Dynasty. Although the Zhou Dynasty lasted longer than any other dynasty in Chinese history, the actual political and military control of China by the Ji family lasted only until 771 BC, a period known as...
official, Fu, was a descendent of Pengzu and served in the royal Treasury, the Qianfu ("Money Office"). His descendants adopted the surname "Qian", literally "money", from his title.
Being descendants of the Peng kingdom, the Qian family originally congregated around Xiapi
Pizhou
Pizhou City is a county-level city in northern Jiangsu province, China. As of 2006 it had a population of 163,000. Administratively, Pizhou is under the jurisdiction of the larger city of Xuzhou.-History:...
, in modern-day Jiangsu
Jiangsu
' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located along the east coast of the country. The name comes from jiang, short for the city of Jiangning , and su, for the city of Suzhou. The abbreviation for this province is "苏" , the second character of its name...
. The surname spread from there, now has its highest concentration of it in the Jiangnan
Jiangnan
Jiangnan or Jiang Nan is a geographic area in China referring to lands immediately to the south of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, including the southern part of the Yangtze Delta...
region. During the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period
Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period
Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms was between 907–960/979 AD and an era of political upheaval in China, between the fall of the Tang Dynasty and the founding of the Song Dynasty. During this period, five dynasties quickly succeeded one another in the north, and more than 12 independent states were...
period (907-960), Qian Liu
Qian Liu
Qian Liu , courtesy name Jumei , nickname Poliu , formally King Wusu of Wuyue with the temple name of Taizu , was founder and first king of the Kingdom of Wuyue during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period, ruling over roughly modern Zhejiang on the east coast of China.- Background :Qian...
and his descendants ruled the independent kingdom of Wuyue
Wuyue
Kingdom of Wuyue , 907-978, was a small independent coastal kingdom founded during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms of Chinese history. It was ruled by the Qian family, which remains widespread in the kingdom's former territory.-Founding:...
in south-eastern China. Qian Liu had many sons, who were posted to different parts of his kingdom, greatly increasing the density of the Qian surname within the former territory of Wuyue. This area comprises today's Zhejiang
Zhejiang
Zhejiang is an eastern coastal province of the People's Republic of China. The word Zhejiang was the old name of the Qiantang River, which passes through Hangzhou, the provincial capital...
, Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
, southern Jiangsu
Jiangsu
' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located along the east coast of the country. The name comes from jiang, short for the city of Jiangning , and su, for the city of Suzhou. The abbreviation for this province is "苏" , the second character of its name...
and northern Fujian
Fujian
' , formerly romanised as Fukien or Huguing or Foukien, is a province on the southeast coast of mainland China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, and Guangdong to the south. Taiwan lies to the east, across the Taiwan Strait...
. After Wuyue submitted to the Song Dynasty
Song Dynasty
The Song Dynasty was a ruling dynasty in China between 960 and 1279; it succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period, and was followed by the Yuan Dynasty. It was the first government in world history to issue banknotes or paper money, and the first Chinese government to establish a...
in 978, the last king moved to Bianjing
Kaifeng
Kaifeng , known previously by several names , is a prefecture-level city in east-central Henan province, Central China. Nearly 5 million people live in the metropolitan area...
, the Song capital in modern-day Henan
Henan
Henan , is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "豫" , named after Yuzhou , a Han Dynasty state that included parts of Henan...
. The Qian family was thereafter prominent at the Song court, with Qian Chu's son, Qian Weiyan, serving as a prominent Chancellor
Chancellor of China
The Chancellor , variously translated as Prime Minister, Chancellor of State, Premier or Chief Councillor, was a generic name given to the highest-ranking official in the imperial government in ancient China...
. During this period, the Qian family also spread to northern China.
Pre-modern
- Qian QiQian QiQian Qi , and also transliterated into English "Chien Chi", was a Chinese poet of the Tang Dynasty, with three of his poems being included in the famous anthology Three Hundred Tang Poems...
, Tang dynasty poet - The Qian royal family of WuyueWuyueKingdom of Wuyue , 907-978, was a small independent coastal kingdom founded during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms of Chinese history. It was ruled by the Qian family, which remains widespread in the kingdom's former territory.-Founding:...
, especially:- Qian LiuQian LiuQian Liu , courtesy name Jumei , nickname Poliu , formally King Wusu of Wuyue with the temple name of Taizu , was founder and first king of the Kingdom of Wuyue during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period, ruling over roughly modern Zhejiang on the east coast of China.- Background :Qian...
(錢鏐) (852-932), founder; - Qian ChuQian ChuQian Chu , born Qian Hongchu , was the last King of Wuyue , a kingdom in southern-eastern China during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period of Chinese history...
(錢俶) (929-988), last king.
- Qian Liu
- Qian Weiyan (钱惟演) (962-1034), Song Chancellor, Duke.
- Empress Xiaozhuang Mao (孝莊睿皇后) (?-1468), Emperess to the Ying Emperor of MingZhengtong EmperorZhu Qizhen was an emperor of the Ming Dynasty. He ruled as the Zhengtong Emperor from 1435 to 1449, and as the Tianshun Emperor from 1457 to 1464....
- Qian QianyiQian QianyiQian Qianyi was a noted late Ming official, scholar and social historian.-Biography:Qian was born in Chángshóu . His style name was 'Shou Zhi' and his pseudonyms were 'Mu Zhai' and later 'Meng Sou'...
(钱谦益) (1582-1664), Ming dynasty official and author - Qian Chengqun (钱陈群) (1686-1774), Qing dynasty minister
- Qian Yiji (錢儀吉) (1783-1850), Qing dynasty official, geographer
- Qian Taiji (錢泰吉) (1791-1863), Qing dynasty biliophile, official
- Qian Yingpu (錢應溥) (1824-1902), Qing dynasty official, Grand Councillor
Modern
- Qian XuantongQian XuantongQian Xuantong was a Chinese linguist.-Biography:Born in Huzhou, Zhejiang, Qian was named 錢夏錢夏 at birth, and was given the courtesy name Deqian trained in traditional Chinese philology. After receiving his university education in Japan, Qian held a number of teaching positions in mainland China...
(錢玄同) (1887-1939), linguist - Ch'ien MuCh'ien MuCh'ien Mu , was a Chinese historian, educator, philosopher and Confucian considered one of the greatest historians and philosophers in 20th-century China....
(錢穆), (1895-1990), historian, - Qian Ying (钱瑛) (1903-1973), People's Republic of China politician
- Qian ZhongshuQian ZhongshuQian Zhongshu was a Chinese literary scholar and writer, known for his wit and erudition.He is best known for his satiric novel Fortress Besieged . His works of non-fiction are characterised by their large amount of quotations in both Chinese and Western languages...
(錢鍾書) (1910-1998), scholar and writer - Qian Xuesen (錢學森) (1911-2009), rocket scientist and physicist
- Chien Wei-zang (錢偉長) (1913-2010), physicist and mathematician
- Qian SanqiangQian SanqiangQian Sanqiang was a Chinese nuclear physicist.-Biography:A native of Huzhou, Zhejiang Province, China, Qian was born in Shaoxing, attending Peking University and Tsinghua University. His father is Qian Xuantong. Qian went to France in 1937...
(钱三强) (1913-1992), nuclear physicist - Qian Zhengying (钱正英) (born 1923), hydrologist, People's Republic of China politician
- Qian LirenQian Liren-Early life:Born in 1924 in Zhenjiang, Jiangsu province, Qian had family origins in Jiaxing, Zhejiang province, and is a documented descendant of the kings of Wuyue...
(錢李仁) (born 1924), People's Republic of China politician, diplomat - Qian QichenQian QichenQian Qichen is a Chinese diplomat and communist political figure. He served as Chinese foreign minister from April 1988 to March 1998.-Biography:...
(钱其琛) (born 1928), People's Republic of China politician, diplomat - Shu ChienShu ChienShu Chien , is an eminent American biological scientist and engineer. Chien is current President of the Biomedical Engineering Society.-Biography:...
(錢煦) (born 1931), biological scientist and engineer - Fredrick ChienFredrick ChienFrederick Chien Foo , also spelled Fredrick Chien, was the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China on Taiwan from 1990 to 1996.-Background:...
(錢復) (born 1935), Republic of China politician, diplomat - Elizabeth WongElizabeth WongElizabeth "Libby" Wong Chien Chi-lien, CBE, ISO, JP is a former civil servant and politician from Hong Kong, born in Shanghai, China. Wong holds New Zealand citizenship, and is currently residing in Sydney, Australia. She is now a popular fiction writer...
née Chien, pre-handover Hong Kong politician - Qian YunluQian YunluQian Yunlu is a Chinese politician and was the Communist Party of China Committee Secretary of Heilongjiang province in northeast China....
(钱运录) (born 1944), People's Republic of China politician - Roger Y. TsienRoger Y. TsienRoger Yonchien Tsien is a Chinese American biochemist and a professor at the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego...
(錢永健) (born 1952), biologist, 2008 Nobel Prize winner - Chin Kar-lok, Actor
- Qian ZhijunQian ZhijunQian Zhijun is a Chinese actor and entertainer. His fame began during the "Little Fatty" internet meme, and since then he has appeared in films and hosted a festival for people with alternative body types....
(钱志君), actor and subject of the "Little FattyLittle FattyLittle Fatty is an internet meme involving superimposing the face of a boy on various photographs. Because of the internet meme and the resulting sudden fame, the boy, Qian Zhijun, decided to become a public figure, and he became a major celebrity and an actor in China.-History:In 2003 a teacher...
" internet memeInternet memeThe term Internet meme is used to describe a concept that spreads via the Internet. The term is a reference to the concept of memes, although the latter concept refers to a much broader category of cultural information.-Description:...
See also
- WuyueWuyueKingdom of Wuyue , 907-978, was a small independent coastal kingdom founded during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms of Chinese history. It was ruled by the Qian family, which remains widespread in the kingdom's former territory.-Founding:...
- All Wikipedia pages beginning with Qian