The Lu（lù） surname, meaning "land" or "continent" in Chinese, embodies tales of ancient rituals, philosophical revolutions, and boundary-breaking innovation. It is one of the oldest surnames in China, with its origins traceable back to the legendary times of ancient China, showcasing the integration of clans and the diverse cultural genes of the Chinese civilization.
Ⅰ、Surname origins:
The Lu surname emerged from China’s dawn of civilization, blending myth and history:
1. Descendants of the ancient gods: the bloodline of Zhuanxu and the fire god;
The oldest origin of the Lu surname can be traced back to the ancient Five Emperors period. Wu Hui (the fire god Zhurong the grandson of Zhuanxu, had six sons, one of whom, Lu Zhong, became the direct ancestor of the Lu surname. This branch of the family, the Lu family, took "Lu" as its totem, symbolizing the worship of land and fire, and formed the main trunk of the Lu family Chu.
2. The true line of the Gui surname: the bloodline of the nobility of the state of Qi
Warring States Era， Prince Tian Tong of Qi (4th century BCE) received the Lu territory (Shandong), establishing the surname’s noble lineage.
3. The descendants of the Lu Hun state and ethnic integration
During the Spring and Autumn period, the descendants of the Lu Hun state (present-day County, Henan Province) adopted the name of their state as their surname, forming another important source of the Lu surname.
4. Minority groups changing their surn
During the Northern and Southern Dynasties, the Xianbei ethnic group's Bu Lu Gu family changed their surname to Lu under the sinicization policy of Northern Wei Dynasty, further enriching the genetic diversity of the Lu surname.
Ⅱ、 Historical celebrities
1. Military Strategists
Lu Jia: A politician in the early Han Dynasty, he assisted Liu Bang with the concept of "exalting the king andposing the overlord", and made two missions to Nanyue, laying the foundation for the stability of the Han Dynasty's borders.
Lu Xun : Eastern Wu’s "Fire General" who defeated Liu Bei at Yiling – a battle studied in global military academies.
Lu Xiufu: Sung loyalist who chose death over surrender, his final stand at Yashan Bay remains China’s "Exemplar of loyal and heroic spirit."
2. Cultural Revolutionaries
Lu Yu: The "Tea Sage" who wrote The Classic of Tea, transforming leaf-drinking into Zen philosophy.
Lu Jiuyuan: Founded the "Mind-Heart School," arguing "The universe is my heart" – predating Western idealism by centuries.
Lu You: A patriotic poet with more than 9,000 poems extant, "The day when Our country's army occupy the Central Plains" in "To My Son" has become a symbol of national spirit.
Lu Tanwei: Painter, who created the "one-stroke painting" technique, and was known as "Gu Lu" with Gu Kaizhi.
3. Pioneers of Technology and Art
Lu Shen: The namesake of Lujiazui in Shanghai, a literary and collector, whose tomb yielded a gold and jade Guanyin hairpin that showcases the pinnacle of Ming craftsmanship.
Lu Xiaopeng: The chief designer the "Qiang-5" attack aircraft, who propelled the modernization of China's aviation industry.
Ⅲ、Cultural significance
1. Totem and Symbol System
The legend of "Six Poisonous Birds Descending from Heaven" served as the prototype for the formation the phoenix rising from the ashes totem, symbolizing the connection between the Lu surname and the fire civilization;
The system of county aspirations centered on Wu County (present Suzhou) and Henan County (present-day Luoyang), forming two major cultural centers in the north and south.
2. Hall Names:
Zhonglie Hall: Commemorating the loyal spirit of Lu Xiufu, who Jump into the sea to commit suicide for the country with the young emperor on his back.
Yanmei Hall: Derived from Zhi's "harmonizing the tripod" governance philosophy;
3. Family Precepts Inheritance
The Lu family precepts emphasize the "Four Do Nots (Do not deceive the heart, do not betray the master, do not abuse the people, do not fall the ancestors), integrating Confucian ethics into family norms.
The spirit of water control: Derived from Lu Zhong's water control legend, it evolved into the family style of "unyielding perseverance", such as Lu Shen the Ming Dynasty, who built the "Houyue Garden" to train his descendants with Fan Zhongyan's spirit of "worrying before others and after others".
IV. Social Impact:
1. Population Distribution Characteristics
The current population of the Lu surname is approximately 5.7 million, mainly in:
Jiangnan Cultural Circle: Jiangsu accounts for 23%, preserving the Wu Commandery Lu Family Ancestral Hall architectural complex;
Lingnan: Guangxi and Guangdong account for 28%, mostly descendants of Lu Xiufu of the Southern Song Dynasty.
2. Contributions in Modern Fields
Lu Yanshao: Modern master of landscape painting, creator of the "Lu Family Landscape" new paradigm.
Lu Shijia: Founder of Chinese aerodynamics, cultivated the batch of aerospace talents.
Lu Chuan: Contemporary director, "Nanjing! Nanjing!" was nominated for the Golden Lion Award at the Venice Film Festival.
3. Cultural Heritage
The "Lu Yu Tomb" in Huzhou, Zhejiang, has become a world tea culture holy site, hosting the International Tea Ceremony Conference every year.
The reconstruction of the Lu Xiufu Memorial Hall in Yashan, Guangdong, was selected as the "Overseas Chinese Culture RootSeeking Project" in 2024.
The ancient village of Lu Xiang in Suzhou preserves 28 Ming and Qing Dynasty residences, and its carving gatehouse craftsmanship has been included in the intangible cultural heritage.
Conclusion:
The surname Lu is like a microcosm of Chinese civilization history - from the ancient myth of flood control to the peak of xin xue, from Lu Xun's ingenious fire attack to Lu You's patriotic poems, this surname has witnessed the inheritance of wisdom and courage, the wisdom of national integration and vitality of cultural innovation.
Today, from the financial landmark of Lujiazui in Shanghai to the scattered ancestral network around the world, the surname Lu is not a family memory identifier, but also a key to understand the inclusive characteristics of Chinese culture. Its spirit of "loyalty and bravery" and "dismissing the tyr" is just like the eternal pursuit of ethics and innovation in Chinese civilization.