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Chens widely known for loyalty and filial piety
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WITH a prosperous history, Chens are highly respected as they value family unity and a humble spirit, especially the branch of Jiangzhou Chen. An estimated 58 million people are surnamed Chen in China, making it the fifth most common surname. They constitute about 4.63 percent of the country’s population.
There are two major sources of the Chen name, including the family of Gui Man, who was one of Emperor Shun’s offspring.
Gui Man was granted land named Chen in today’s Huaiyang County of Henan Province when King Wu established the Zhou Dynasty (1046–256 BC). His descendents surnamed themselves Chen after the land.
Due to internal discord within the Chen Kingdom, some of the descendants migrated and formed different branches of the Chen family.
One of the most important branches of the Chen family originated from Chen Wan, who moved to the Qi Kingdom and changed his surname to Tian.
His grandson Naozi established the Tianqi Kingdom in 391 BC. When the Kingdom was conquered by the First Emperor of Qin, Prince Zhen escaped to the Chu Kingdom and became a minister. He was granted the land of Yingchuan in today’s Yuzhou of Henan Province, where he changed his name back to Chen. The Chens from Yingchuan are still the biggest branch today.
There are also numerous Chens among ethnic minorities. During the Reform of Emperor Xiaowen in the Northern Wei Dynasty (AD 386-557) many Xianbei people changed their surnames to Chen. In the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), Emperor Hongwu granted Mongolians who had surrendered the Chen surname. There are also people surnamed Chen among the Manchu, Hui and other ethnic groups.
“Yi Men” refers to loyalty and filial piety, which has been a trademark among Chens throughout history.
A man named Chen Boxuan settled his family in Jiangzhou (today’s Jiujiang of Jiangxi Province) during the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907). The family’s population quickly grew and reached 3,700 during the reign of Emperor Renzong in the Song Dynasty (960-1279).
They ate together and all family members had to be seated before the food was served. It is said they lived together like this for 19 generations. Since they demonstrated traditional Chinese values, the family was credited as “Yi Men Chen Shi” (The Family Chen of Loyalty).
However, their numbers were too large for the region by 1062 and the emperor ordered the family to be separated.
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