Compilation of Yongning Luo Clan Genealogy Culture / Commemorative Album of Lu Gong Ancestral Hall
Chapter One: The Origins of the Luo Clan
1. The Ancestral Lineage of the Luo Clan Over a Hundred Generations
2. Biography of Zhu Rong Gong / Biography of Kuang Zheng Gong / Biography of Ling Fu Gong
3. Lineage from Zhu Gong to Yi Song Gong
4. Biography of Zhu Gong / Biography of Qi Sheng Gong / Biography of Zun Sheng Gong / Biography of Zhan Gong
5. The Eight Generational Names of the Yuzhang Luo Clan / Common Generational Names of the Chinese Luo Clan
6. The Five Major Ancestral Halls of the Luo Clan / Migration Map of the Luo Clan
7. Ranking of the Luo Clan Population by Province / Overview
8. The Main Ancestral Hall of the Luo Clan / Ruins of Luo Zi Guo / Memorial Hall of Luo Zhu Gong / Yuzhang Luo Clan Loyalty and Filial Piety Ancestral Hall
5. The Eight Generational Names of the Yuzhang Luo Clan / Common Generational Names of the Chinese Luo Clan
Old Generation: Luo Sheng De (Southern Song)
Sheng Ying Shi Yong Jun, Cheng Yan Bo Gong Shu.
With this, we promote the light of the constitution, upholding prosperity and ensuring blessings.
Fortune and luck will come in due time, virtuous descendants will be arranged in order.
Rich in the present day, virtues and achievements will be recorded for generations.
New Generation: Luo Wen Pu (Ming)
Loyalty and filial piety pass on great merit, the fragrant name resonates in Yuzhang.
Throughout the ages, prominent positions have been held, generations assisting the worthy.
Philosophy has long been renowned, talented individuals flourish with auspiciousness.
Religious branches together narrate the lineage, radiating and expanding auspiciousness.
43 Sheng ➩ 44 Ying ➩ 45 Shi ➩ 46 Yong ➩ 47 Jun ➩48 Cheng ➩ 49 Yan ➩ 50 Bo ➩ 51 Gong ➩ 52 Shu ➩53 With ➩ 54 this ➩ 55 we ➩ 56 promote ➩ 57 the ➩ 58 light ➩ 59 of ➩ 60 the ➩ 61 constitution ➩ 62 upholding ➩ 63 prosperity ➩ 64 and ➩ 65 ensuring ➩ 66 blessings ➩67 Fortune ➩ 68 and ➩ 69 luck ➩ 70 will ➩ 71 come ➩ 72 in ➩ 73 due ➩ 74 time ➩ 75 virtuous ➩ 76 descendants ➩ 77 will ➩ 78 be ➩ 79 arranged ➩ 80 in ➩ 81 order ➩82 Rich ➩ 83 in ➩ 84 the ➩ 85 present ➩ 86 day ➩ 87 virtues ➩ 88 and ➩ 89 achievements ➩ 90 will ➩ 91 be ➩ 92 recorded ➩ 93 for ➩ 94 generations ➩
6. The Five Major Ancestral Halls of the Luo Clan / Migration Map of the Luo Clan
Since the first ancestor of the Yuzhang Luo Clan, Luo Zhu Gong, due to reasons such as holding official positions, engaging in commerce, seeking a livelihood, or fleeing disasters, the descendants of the Luo Clan gradually migrated across the seas and settled in various places throughout the nine provinces. This gradually formed five major ancestral halls, namely Yuzhang, Xiangyang, Hedong (Taiyuan), Qi County (Jinan), and Changsha. Today, the Luo Clan residing in the six provinces of Sichuan, Guangdong, Hunan, Jiangxi, Hubei, and Guizhou accounts for about 75% of the total Luo population in the country. According to ancient historical records and various local Luo clan genealogies, a general overview of the migration of the Yuzhang Luo Clan can be discerned. Starting from Yuzhang (Nanchang, Jiangxi) as the origin, by the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the descendants of the Luo Clan mainly gathered in Xiangyang, Changsha, and Yuzhang, and then began to enter Sichuan, followed by Guizhou. By the mid-Tang Dynasty, the descendants of the Luo Clan had spread throughout Jiangxi and Hunan, Hubei, and began to enter Fujian. From the end of the Song Dynasty to the beginning of the Yuan Dynasty, they migrated from Fujian to Guangdong.
1. Yuzhang Commandery
The Yuzhang Commandery was established by Emperor Gao of Han, and during Wang Mang’s reign, it was called “Jiujiang” and belonged to Yangzhou. At that time, there were 67,462 households. Population: 310,965 people. Eighteen counties: Nanchang, Luling, Pengze, Poyang, Liling, Yuhan, Chaisang, Ai, Gan, Xingan, Nancheng, Jiancheng, Yichun, Haihun, Yundu, Kanyang, Nanmao, Anping (according to “Book of Han” by Ban Gu).
During the pre-Qin period, the Luo Clan was active in the regions of Hubei, Henan, Gansu, and Shanxi. By the time of King Wen of Chu, the Luo clan members moved south into Mili County, Hunan. A county named after “Luo” was established—Luo County. During the Qin and Han Dynasties, the Luo surname developed eastward, descending along the Yangtze River, and had migrated to the Nanchang area of Jiangxi. Luo Jun Yong, the governor of Wuling Commandery, used (many surname books and “Luo Clan Genealogy” record “Wuling Ling Luo Jun Yong”, checking “Book of Han: Geographical Records” where Wuling was a commandery, now changed) his son, Guanying’s general Luo Zhu (“Jiangxi General History” has a biography, many Luo clan genealogies record him as the Grand Minister of Agriculture, and a genealogy in Taiwan records him as the “General”, while “Nanchang Archaeological Record” states “official position lost to history”), the “Luo Clan Genealogy” records him as the Grand Minister of Agriculture, the Grand Minister of Yuzhang, who was sent to govern Jiujiang, continuing the task of building a city in Nanchang assigned by the Marquis of Yingyin, Guanying, and widely planting Yuzhang trees (camphor trees) around the city, thus proliferating and thriving.
At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Luo Shao, a descendant of the Yuzhang Luo Clan, served as the Imperial Attendant and was granted the title of Marquis; the brothers Luo Qi Sheng and Luo Zun Sheng of the Jin Dynasty were renowned for their “One Family of Loyalty and Filial Piety”, continuing to develop until the Song Dynasty, becoming a prominent family in Jiangxi. Especially the philosopher Zhu Xi’s ancestor, Luo Cong Yan from Shaxian, Fujian, originally from Yuzhang, was known as the “Yuzhang Master” among scholars. The Song Dynasty Prime Minister Luo Dian (from Chongren, Fuzhou, Jiangxi) was a descendant of Luo Wen Tong from Yuzhang, as recorded in the “History of Song”. There was also a woman from the “Yuzhang Luo” who married a Zhao surname prince during the Tang Dynasty and was titled “Lady of Yuzhang Commandery”. From historical materials and the Luo clan genealogies, it can be seen that the Yuzhang Luo Clan originated in the Han Dynasty, and by the Song Dynasty, especially during the Southern Song Dynasty, when the court was based in Hangzhou, the Luo Clan began to shine again, with the Luo family of “One Family of Seven Jinshi” emerging. During the Ming Dynasty, many talents emerged, represented by the “Three Luos of Jianshan”—Ming philosopher, Minister of Rites and Personnel Luo Qin Shun, Ming top scholar and scholar Luo Lun, and Luo Hong Xian, adding glory to the Yuzhang Luo Clan, with notable figures in every generation. However, when tracing the origins of the Luo Clan in the Jianshan area, it was only traced back to Luo Ze, the governor of Jianshan during the Tang Dynasty (with several accounts of his tenure, from the “Taolin Luo Clan Genealogy”), and it was clearly stated that his ancestors came from Qiantang, Zhejiang. Later, the descendants of Luo Ze strictly followed the ancestral teachings, also tracing back to Luo Zhan from the Tang Dynasty. The famous poet Yang Wan Li, son-in-law of the great Confucian Luo Yi from the Song Dynasty, left behind the “Chengzhai Literary Collection” in the “Complete Library of the Four Treasuries”, preserving a large amount of precious historical materials of the Luo Clan. In his article “Record of the Luo Clan’s Ten Thousand Volumes”, he asserted: “The Luo Clan is all from Yuzhang. Its origin in Jin is Jun Zhang (Luo Han’s courtesy name Jun Zhang)” to make a name for himself; during the Five Dynasties (the period of the Tang, Five Dynasties, and Ten Kingdoms), there was Jiangdong Gong (Luo Yin, known as “Jiangdong Sheng”), now the Luo Clan of Luling, whose descendants also came from there.” It is clear that the Luling (now Jianshan area) Luo Clan is a branch of the Yuzhang Luo Clan, with ancestors traceable to Luo Han, the Xiang of Changsha during the Jin Dynasty, a noted literary figure and author of “Xiangzhong Ji”, and the poet “Three Luos” of the late Tang and early Five Dynasties—Luo Yin.
In the “Yuanhe Surname Compilation” compiled by Lin Bao during the Tang Dynasty, for some reason, the name “Yuzhang Luo” was not listed. It is likely that during the Tang Dynasty, Li Shimin reformed the surname system, forcibly weakening the power of the prominent families of “Wang and Xie of Jin, Cui and Lu of Tang”, and rearranging the surnames of prominent families according to the official ranks of the time. The “Yuzhang Luo” was not listed in the “Yuanhe Surname Compilation” compiled by Lin Bao during the Tang Dynasty because there were no high-ranking officials at that time, so it was not listed like “Changsha Luo”. Now, there are over ten million Luo Clan members at home and abroad, most of whom originate from or honor “Yuzhang” as their ancestral hall.
2. Changsha Commandery The Changsha Commandery was established during the Qin Dynasty, with 255,854 households at that time, and a population of 1,059,372 people. Twelve cities: Linxiang, You, Chaling, Ancheng, Ling, Liandao, Zhaoling, Yiyang, Xia Jun, Luo [original note: The Emperor’s Century states: There is Guangling Pavilion. “Xiangzhong Ji” (written by Luo Han) also states: The two goddesses (Luo Xiao Nu, Meng Jiang Nu), Liu Biao erected a monument for them], Liling, and Rongling. (According to “Book of the Later Han” by Fan Ye, Southern Dynasty Song).
“Changsha Luo” is one of the five major ancestral halls of the Luo Clan, and it was not listed in the “Yuanhe Surname Compilation”. However, at the end of the Tang Dynasty, King of Changsha Luo Hongxin and King of Ye Luo Shaowei were granted titles, with great achievements, and if the “Yuanhe Surname Compilation” were to be continued, “Changsha Luo” would certainly be at the top of the list. Hunan Changsha, represented by Luo Huai, the minister of Liang State during the Han Dynasty, Luo Hong, the governor of Jiaozhou, Luo Yan, the governor of Linhai during the Han Dynasty, Luo Sui, the governor of Xingyang during the late Han and early Jin Dynasties, Luo Han, the minister of Changsha during the Jin Dynasty, Luo Hongxin, the King of Changsha during the Tang Dynasty, Luo Shaowei, the King of Ye, and the poet of the “Three Luos” of the Tang Dynasty, as well as Luo Yin, Luo Ye, and Luo Qiu from Zhejiang, formed the Changsha ancestral hall. According to the Ming Dynasty top scholar Luo Hongxian, who spent over thirty years researching, in the “Xiuchuan Luo Clan Genealogy” and other documents, it is asserted that Luo Zhan from Jianshan and Jishui came from Xiangdong. The father of Luo Zhu Zhong, an educator from Loudi, Hunan during the Qing Dynasty, also wrote in his autobiography that he was a descendant of Luo Yin, the Jiangdong Gong. The epitaph of the descendants of Luo Yi from the Song Dynasty also clearly states that they are descendants of Luo Yin. Note: Most of the Hunan Luo Clan honors Tang Zhan Gong as their ancestor.
3. Xiangyang Commandery
In Hubei Xiangyang, represented by Luo Meng, the governor of Guanghan during the Han Dynasty, Luo Shi, the governor of Zangke during the Han Dynasty, Luo Xian, the Marquis of Xie, Luo Shang, the Marquis of Yiling, Luo You, the governor of Guang and Yizhou, Luo Chong, the governor of Jingling, Luo Yi, the King of Yan during the Tang Dynasty, Luo Zeng Sheng, the left guard general, and Luo Xiang, the baron of Xiangyang, and other representatives formed the Xiangyang ancestral hall. The descendants of this ancestral hall, except for the Luo Clan branch from Jishui Mountain in Jiangxi, all follow the same development pattern as brother surnames, unifying the “ancestral hall” and honoring “Yuzhang” as their ancestral hall. One of the “Three Luos of Jishui”, Luo Da Hong, also came from this branch. In the “Forbidden Four Treasuries”, the literary collection of Luo Da Hong was preserved, providing bibliographic evidence that the Luo Clan of Shanyuan belongs to the Xiangyang ancestral hall. In the “Yuanhe Surname Compilation” compiled by Lin Bao during the Tang Dynasty, “Xiangyang” was listed as the second ancestral hall of the Luo Clan, with the first being Qi County and the third being Hedong.
4. Qi County
Qi County was established during the Qin Dynasty, with 154,826 households at that time. The population was 554,445 people. Twelve counties: Linzi, Changguo, Li, Xian, Juding, Guang, Guangrao, Zhaonan, Linqu, Beixiang, Pingguang, and Taixiang. (According to “Book of the Later Han” by Fan Ye, Southern Dynasty Song) In Shandong Jinan, formerly known as Qi County, Licheng. A branch of the Luo surname migrated from Henan along the Yellow River and gradually developed into a prominent surname during the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties. At the end of the Sui Dynasty, they participated in the war of the sixteen surnames to establish the Tang Dynasty together with the Luo surname from Hubei Xiangyang. Their representatives included some who were granted titles, such as King Yan Luo Yi (first rank); some were granted the title of Duke, such as Duke of Tancheng Luo Shixin (second rank); and some were granted the title of Marquis, such as the left guard general, the upper pillar state (second rank) Marquis of Anshan Luo Junfu (according to the collection of Zhou Shaoliang), the great commander of the Yiwai Shen Yu Luo Duan (according to the collection of the Beijing Library), and the courageous general Luo Chengxian (second rank, according to the collection of ancient literature) and the founding county duke Luo Junyu (second rank, according to the collection of ancient literature) etc. The location of Licheng—Qi County, was listed as the first ancestral hall of the Luo Clan in the “Yuanhe Surname Compilation” compiled by Lin Bao during the Tang Dynasty, indicating the prominence of Luo Clan talents at that time. Currently, most of the Shandong Luo Clan honors Duke Luo Shixin of Tang as their ancestor and traces their lineage back to him. According to Zheng Qiao’s “General Records of Clans”, Luo Shixin was once granted the surname “Li”, but his descendants still insisted on the surname “Luo”.
5. Hedong Commandery
Hedong Commandery was established during the Qin Dynasty, with 236,896 households at that time. The population was 962,912 people. Twenty-three counties: Anyi, Danyang, Yishi, Jie, Pufan, Hebei, Zuoyi, Fen Yin, Wenxi, Feize, Duanshi, Yuan, Pishi, Changxiu, Pingyang, Xiangling, Zhi, Yang, Beiqu, Puzi, Jiang, Hu Ni, and Qi. (According to “Book of the Later Han” by Fan Ye, Southern Dynasty Song) In the vicinity of Taiyuan, Shanxi, during the Northern Wei Dynasty, the family of Luo Jie, a member of the Queshe family (now Shanxi), was represented by the family of Luo Bo, who was granted the title of King of Jinan, and Luo Jin, who was granted the title of Duke of Daifang, etc. Opening the “Book of Wei”, the Luo Clan formed a significant presence, establishing the Hedong ancestral hall. By the Tang Dynasty, it was listed as one of the three ancestral halls of the Luo Clan. In addition to the aforementioned Luo Jie family, there were also Luo Rong, the Marquis of Bozhou, a great general of the Tang Dynasty, who advanced south from Shanxi to fight in Fujian, Guangdong, and Guangxi, eventually settling in Guizhou, as recorded in the “Zunyi Prefecture Chronicle”, forming the Luo Clan genealogy. Luo Yan Gui, a founding figure of the Song Dynasty, is renowned for his contributions to the establishment of the Song Dynasty, and some branches of the Luo Clan in Guangdong honor him as their ancestor. However, there are currently few branches of the Luo Clan that honor Hedong as their ancestral hall. It is estimated that they have changed to honor the Yuzhang ancestral hall of the Luo Clan, reflecting the convergence of ethnic and surname cultures.
The Hedong Commandery is primarily formed by minority ethnic groups changing their surnames, indicating that minority ethnic groups have played a significant role in the development history of the Chinese Luo Clan, leaving behind excellent genetic heritage for the Chinese Luo Clan.