Chinese people have many clan names or clan names. One of the famous Chinese clans is the Tan clan. Tan clan or in Mandarin called Chen [陈] is the 5th largest Chinese clan in mainland China and ranks 10th in the book “Bai Jia Xing (Hundreds of Chinese Surnames)”. Even in Singapore, Hong Kong and Macau, the Tan clan is the clan with the largest population or ranks first among other Chinese clans. Apart from being worn by Chinese citizens, the Tan Clan (Chen) is also used by Vietnamese and Korean citizens. The term Tan Marga varies depending on the dialect and language used. Some of the names include Tan (Teochew and Hokkien), Chan (Cantonese), Chin (Hakka), while in Vietnam it says Trần and Japan is Chin.
The origin of the Tan clan can be traced to 3000 years ago to be precise in 1066 BC when at that time the Shang Dynasty which was ruled by Emperor Shang Zhou Wang [商 纣王] was successfully defeated by Emperor Zhou Wu Wang [周武王] who was also the founder of the Dynasty Zhou [周朝]. In order to strengthen his Power, Emperor Zhou Wu Wang divided the Duke of State and gave it to the Officials who contributed to him. Gui Man [妫 满] who was also a descendant of Emperor Shun [舜帝] acquired Chen [陈] territory (now Huai Yang County, Henan Province, China). Gui Man later founded the Duke of Chen [陈 国] under the title Chen Hou [陈侯]. Wei Man was also married to Emperor Zhou Wu Wang’s daughter. After his death, Gui Man received a promotion as “Gong [公] as Hu Gong Man [胡 胡 满].
During Gui Man’s reign, Chen Country was one of the strongest nations and its people lived a prosperous life. But after Gui Man died, Chen State went through civil war and a power struggle that caused its people to suffer and flee to other areas. Because of their loyalty to the Chen State, most of the people and their descendants of Gui Man (Hu Gong Man) used their country’s name as their clan, so that the Chen clan or more commonly referred to as the Tan clan in Teochew and Hokkien dialects emerged.
Gui Man as the founder of Chen Country was also the ancestor of the Tan Clan. Gui Man’s burial place in Huai Yang City is often visited by the Tan clan from all over the world to pay homage to the ancestors of the Tan clan.
In Chinese civilization, some famous figures from the Tan clan (Chen) are as follows:
- Chen Sheng [陈胜], the peasant leader who put up a fight against the atrocities of the Qin Dynasty and crowned himself King when his Military Forces succeeded in conquering Chen County.
- Chen Shou [陈寿], historian of the Western Jin Dynasty and also the author of “San Guo Zhi [三国 志] (Samkok)” which is very popular today.
- Chen Ba Xian [陈 霸先], Founder of the Chen Dynasty in the Southern Southern Dynasty (Nan Bei Chao) with the title Chen Wu Di [陈武帝]
I hope this article is useful.
